How do you fix a bowed handle???

B

Brian Rust

Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Messages
762










So my wife found this little heartbreaker Flint Edge at a yard sale! It sat against a wall for a very long time I’m guessing. I set it down and it looks like it was made to be against a wall. But I would like to save this handle. It is a beautiful handle. Other than steaming it what else is there? I clamped it to the bench for a week and it sprung back like it was nothing lol. Anything else I can do?? Thank you for all the comments!

Looks like someone tried to clean up the head a bit. I scrubbed it with an sos pad and wd and that’s it. They may have took a grinder to it idk.
 
Ive never had to do this but I do know that clamping it to a bench could take months and months to straighten this haft potentially even up to a year I've been told.
Steaming may be the best method.
 
I use a heat gun to bend wood longbows all the time. Slowly heat the bowed area of the handle up by moving the heat gun back and forth over it. Don't get the heat gun to close and don't hold it in one spot for to long or you will scortch it. When you get the wood to the correct temperature you should feel it start to give when you apply pressure. Take it a little past straight and clamp it down as quick as you can before it cools off. Leave it clamped until it cools off to room temperature. It won't hurt to leave it over night. If you do it correctly you won't leave any scortch marks on it. If the handle is sealed it might bubble the finish up. Make sure the handle is not wet. The wood needs to be good and dry or it can get small drying cracks from the heat. That happens with bows some times. I fill them with superglue and forget about them.

Here are some pictures of how I bend wood bows with a heat gun. Hope you guys don't mind some non axe related pictures.

Before

gWAgUk4h.jpg



Clamped on the form

74fDLLRh.jpg



Off the form

egdyNdIh.jpg



Before - crooked bow tip

z9Ecz1wh.jpg



After heat straightening

BObxXHGh.jpg
 
Nice!! What type of hey gun? My buddy owns an auto body shop I’m sure he has one. Wood that be too hot?
 
I use a cheap wagner heat gun. Any one should work. Just don't get it to close and don't hold it still. Keep slowly moving it over the area you want to bend. Slowly heat it up until the wood is too hot to touch with your hand. Make sure the heat has penetrated all the way through to the other side.

I should have mentioned that using dry heat for gentle bends is usually safe. Making any dramatic or sharp bends with dry heat can cause the wood to crack. Steam is better in those situations.
 
Also, I use small blocks of wood with leather glued on to pad the clamps so I don't leave dents in the wood. Good luck with your handle. Please post your results.
 
If it makes steam it should work. I use a wall paper steamer for my sharp bends. I connect the hose to a steam box. 30 minutes later and it bends like butter.


SY1GwHUh.jpg

024964114351.jpg
 
If you feel the need to use a heat gun instead of what you already have then I'd go with the $10or less harbor freight model.
Mine works just fine, and has 2 heat settings.
 
Brian Rust said:
Other than steaming it what else is there?
Click to expand...

Heat/steam is the way to go. Steaming is easy and it works. Just use a wide roasting pan on the stove and seal it up with wide heady duty foil. Half an inch of water is all you need. 20 minutes once it reaches steaming will do it. As Osage Orange said bend it only slightly past straight. It will only rebound a little. I clamp mine to my cast iron table saw top.

Steaming%20a%20haft.jpg
 
Hickory, you have used the heat gun a lot to straighten handles I assume? Do u ever get cracking?

Peg, that is what I’m talking about quick and easy!! I may try this.
 
Osage outlaw; thank you for submitting a step by step pictorial on heat bending. Pictures speak louder than words. I've only ever worked with steam bending but now I am going to have to find an excuse to try heat. I carved a cane out of Ironwood for my dad 3-4 years ago and it could use a little bit of persuasion to reduce the slight bow to the stem.
 
300Six said:
Osage outlaw; thank you for submitting a step by step pictorial on heat bending. Pictures speak louder than words. I've only ever worked with steam bending but now I am going to have to find an excuse to try heat. I carved a cane out of Ironwood for my dad 3-4 years ago and it could use a little bit of persuasion to reduce the slight bow to the stem.
Click to expand...

No problem. I'm glad I'm able to contribute something to this forum. I'm still a beginner when it comes to axes and hatchets but I've been bending wood with heat and steam for 10 years.
 
osage outlaw said:
I use a heat gun to bend wood longbows all the time. Slowly heat the bowed area of the handle up by moving the heat gun back and forth over it. Don't get the heat gun to close and don't hold it in one spot for to long or you will scortch it. When you get the wood to the correct temperature you should feel it start to give when you apply pressure. Take it a little past straight and clamp it down as quick as you can before it cools off. Leave it clamped until it cools off to room temperature. It won't hurt to leave it over night. If you do it correctly you won't leave any scortch marks on it. If the handle is sealed it might bubble the finish up. Make sure the handle is not wet. The wood needs to be good and dry or it can get small drying cracks from the heat. That happens with bows some times. I fill them with superglue and forget about them.

Here are some pictures of how I bend wood bows with a heat gun. Hope you guys don't mind some non axe related pictures.

Before

gWAgUk4h.jpg



Clamped on the form

74fDLLRh.jpg



Off the form

egdyNdIh.jpg



Before - crooked bow tip

z9Ecz1wh.jpg



After heat straightening

BObxXHGh.jpg
Click to expand...
I sure would like to pick your brains someday I have a really nice stave I would like to build a bow out of.
 
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