Fore end warp

[Pete G.]

Current build seems to be snakebit. Due to barrel shortages last year it took almost a year to get the barrel and stock blank from my supplier. When it finally did come it was in a box with a barrel sized hole in the end. You would think that SOMEONE at UPS would have noticed. Anyway, the supplier immediately shipped out another barrel and the build was started last spring. The barrel was inlet to what was at the time a slip fit. The whole project was put on the back burner while we bought a house and moved. 

Now that I am finally getting some time in the shop again I have restarted "Ol' Snakebite". First thing I note is that the stock has apparently dried out some from the 100% humidity of the summer and there is now a noticeable gap along the barrel is several places, less than 1/16", but still noticeable.

My question is will this gap close back up when the temps and humidity return (which will probably be before final finishing) or should I do something to address this now. I am tempted to stand it in the corner until springtime and just go hunting, but I would like to finish this thing some time along the way since last Sept was the one year anniversary.

[Acer Saccharum]

You can steam the wood, get it really hot, then tie it tight around the barrel and allow it to dry.

[flehto]

I just wet the warped areas, wrap plastic wrap around the bbl  when installing in the inlet and wrap tightly w/ surgical tubing....let sit for a couple wks......Fred

[Eric Krewson]

I tried an experiment today. My forstock is really warped because they shipped my precarve back without the barrel in it, my barrel got temporarily lost in the shuffle. This afternoon I heated my barrel with a map gas torch to bow wood bending temperature (about 180 degrees), put it in the inlet and secured it with zip ties. Next, I took my heat gun and heated the outside of the stock to wood bending temperature and wrapped everything up in old tee shirts. I will know tomorrow how it came out.

[Eric Krewson]

Update; my 30 degree downward dogleg on my stock is now about 5 degrees or less. The hot barrel seemed to do the trick. 

[Pete G.]

Eric, I am curious how you determine when you have reached wood bending temperature? My concern is that if I use steam/water to straighten it now, I'm not sure what will happen when humidity goes back up to the level it was when the barrel was originally inlet.

[Eric Krewson]

I use a very scientific approach; when I can hold my hand on it for 2 seconds and no more it is hot enough. I put my barrel and stock in a piece of 3" aluminum angle to concentrate the heat when I heated the stock/barrel combination. I free handed the initial barrel heating without the angle. 

After bending about a qazillion bow blanks I have found a good heat bend never goes back with a change in humidity. If you heat it again without support it will go back to the original shape.

Off topic but here is a heat bent static bow tip I did. Thousands of shots later and in every weather condition it hasn't tried to uncurl.