curing time
I have a bow now with 3 layers of sinew and with 1 or 2 more to put on.
What the benefit of leave the bow for a longer time then it takes to dry out the water?
Does any body know fore shore or is it only what they did in the past. is it adding draw weight or does it make the sinew spring back faster or just a better bond ? Ma by all of those thing.
I have several of sinewed backed bows that has hardly any curing time from a couple of days to a week and they is still al right. I don't have a problem to wait a couple of month but i guess many of us like to know Why.
I have read almost all old thread and are averred of the polymerization but there is just a answer to the process.
What the benefit of leave the bow for a longer time then it takes to dry out the water?
Does any body know fore shore or is it only what they did in the past. is it adding draw weight or does it make the sinew spring back faster or just a better bond ? Ma by all of those thing.
I have several of sinewed backed bows that has hardly any curing time from a couple of days to a week and they is still al right. I don't have a problem to wait a couple of month but i guess many of us like to know Why.
I have read almost all old thread and are averred of the polymerization but there is just a answer to the process.
I think there were two processes which went on during the 'curing' time. Firstly, the sinew needs to dry out thoroughly, and secondly the wood core needs to adapt and take on the new shape with the sinew shrunk. This second part would be a bit like when a wood bow follows the string and takes on a permanant 'set' - but the other way. Before this, the wood - and the horn possibly as well, would be trying to bend back against the force of the shrunk sinew. So the bow would not be really 'cured' fully and would not reach its full potential until this had taken place.
From what I have read, sinew curing takes a number of weeks or months, while the adaptation of the wood (and horn) is upwards of two years. I have heard that Turkish bowyers didn't consider a bow fully cured until after 5 -6 years.
Maybe someone with some real practical experience would like to comment as this is a very interesting topic.
From what I have read, sinew curing takes a number of weeks or months, while the adaptation of the wood (and horn) is upwards of two years. I have heard that Turkish bowyers didn't consider a bow fully cured until after 5 -6 years.
Maybe someone with some real practical experience would like to comment as this is a very interesting topic.
The sinew-following can happen. But it's easy to take care of in the building process. You can make the core with reflex from beginning. If horn takes reflex can be tested easy just by tie it for some time and look. So this sinew-reflex can be made at the early stage of bow making.
Indoor with no heating the MC follows the outdoor. Right now I have -3 and 100%, no way that anything will dry. If I like to dry the bow I had to wait to late spring, 6 month. But if I take the bow indoor with heating I have +20 and 30%. Here it will dry to 6.3% in weeks.
And that is indoor but bow is used outdoor. So if I take it out it will raise in MC if not sealed.
What condition did they have 2000 years ago, here were I live, the taiga?
Season, make a bow today and it has to wait till spring. Make it in April and it's dry in weeks. In middle of June the nature returns an everything will be more difficult. And the waiting time starts again.
A bow with MC of 8% lose the last % very slow but when done and it's at 6% and you take it outdoor and it will gain MC again. If you live in a taiga environment the bow will have different MC all time, if not sealed.
I got 15% if I leave something for a year in my shop with no heating. And thats not enough for any bow. Except if I use it in spring- middle June.
How do we know that the MC is low enough?
Indoor with no heating the MC follows the outdoor. Right now I have -3 and 100%, no way that anything will dry. If I like to dry the bow I had to wait to late spring, 6 month. But if I take the bow indoor with heating I have +20 and 30%. Here it will dry to 6.3% in weeks.
And that is indoor but bow is used outdoor. So if I take it out it will raise in MC if not sealed.
What condition did they have 2000 years ago, here were I live, the taiga?
Season, make a bow today and it has to wait till spring. Make it in April and it's dry in weeks. In middle of June the nature returns an everything will be more difficult. And the waiting time starts again.
A bow with MC of 8% lose the last % very slow but when done and it's at 6% and you take it outdoor and it will gain MC again. If you live in a taiga environment the bow will have different MC all time, if not sealed.
I got 15% if I leave something for a year in my shop with no heating. And thats not enough for any bow. Except if I use it in spring- middle June.
How do we know that the MC is low enough?