Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Smeans on September 21, 2016, 10:38:00 PM
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I have noticed that there seems to be two different ways to cure additional handle pieces after the main bow is glued up. One is to use localized heat with a lamp/reflector and the other is to just drop the entire bow back into the oven.
Is there not a risk of the bow delaminating if you cure it in the oven unclamped a second time? Or is the glue robust enough that I can do the initial glue up, pop the bow out, add the additional pieces, clamp those down and toss everything back into the oven without fear of any unclamped areas coming apart?
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I have the same question
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I never put the completed bow back in oven for overlays. I guess if they would pop off(which I've never had happen) you can glue em back on but if you put the whole bow back in oven and it should fail from it, you are done.
That said, I have glued and heated riser blocks, then glued the bow later with no trouble too.
Sorry, kind of a politicians answer. :D
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Don't ever put the bow back into the oven without it in the form under pressure- use localized heat or let the additional pieces cure at room temps.
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I have used riser blocks with multiple pieces in one piece longbows. They were glued up before gluing into the longbow. But, I never put a finished bow back into oven.
I use heat lamps to glue on accents and tip overlays. Sometimes I don't use any heat on accents or overlays. Smooth On will cure without heat if your shop is hot enough.
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Might have something to do with the glue in the limbs holding energy to maintain their curve where as a riser is comeratively static so isn't at as much risk of delaming from internal forces. Disclaimer** Very lay opinion here
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You can also unscrew a few light bulbs to get the temp down to a safe range. I often use the oven to glue on limb tip overlays, riser overlays, just run one bulb and stays about 80-90 degrees, leave it overnight and ready to go the next morning. If you use indirect heat (heat lamps) don't get the heat source to close or you can burn things. Don't ask how I know this.
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I never even put my risers in the oven. The riser isnt under the same type of dynamic stresses as the limbs are which is why you heat them. I stick risers in the sun to slowly warm and cure.
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Thanks for the help everyone.
I have a prototype riser clamped up and sitting on the shop table now. I am going to try the 24 hours in a warm shop method and see how it works out.
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I put risers back in oven to cure overlays. On longbows I cook the overlays on riser as rest of bow. On threepiece bows I make multiple cooks of the riser but make sure to have everything clamped from all angles . side to side and back to back. I have done up to five cooks on risers with no problems at all. Never cook an entire bow over once with out putting the entire bow in the form and pressuring it up. Never done it myself but I do know of instances where guys have added glass or carbon to limbs of their own bows when they came out under poundage. Oh and successfully so.
God bless, Steve
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Strange how nobody seems to know for sure...