[Ansteorra] Hickery Bow

[Adam Edwards]

First Instinct with 'Old' Bows is polish it and hang it on a wall.  You 
say soak it... is the Bow Dried out?  If It's been stored unsealed and 
it has dried out... it's done.  If it's not kindling then the way I 
usually recondition a bow is, SLOWLY.  String it with a TOO long 
string.  Draw it once.  Ease off slowly.  Repeat a few times.  Unstring 
it and hang it on a wall.  IF the next day you still want to use it.  
String it again with the too long string and draw it a few times, easing 
off slowly. Repeat for a week or so.  Then shorten the string a little 
and repeat for another week.... and so on until after a month you have 
it back to the correct string length.  Once it's worked to the correct 
string length, draw it back but a little short of a full draw.  Slowly 
work, over the next week or so to a proper string length and draw 
length.  If at anytime during the process it feels "Wrong".  Hang it on 
a wall.

If it does come back,  and I hope it does, check the poundage and if 
it's a little light (as they sometimes get with age)  ask about backing 
it with rawhide or leather  It can add a couple pounds of draw and help 
to hold it together if, heaven forbid, it decides it's done suddenly.

In Service,
      Wilim

On 30/06/2011 11:22 PM, Baronman at aol.com wrote:
> just recieved my VERY OLD hand made hickory 6 foot long bow and was
> wondering the proper procedure to make the wood subtle again.  I am  thinking
> about soaking the wood but am not sure if it is the proper thing to do  to get
> this marvelous bow firing again.
> Bors
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