| Author |
Comment |
Lisa
Shipman Registered
User Posts: 56 (6/23/01 11:18:39
am) Reply
|
Warping
Bows
What causes a bow to warp? Is it how it's stored, or the humidity
level? Is there anything one can do if their bow gets slightly
warped or is it a goner. If how it's stored between playing is a
factor, what is the best way to store your bow?
Lisa
|
Laura
Wichers Moderator Posts: 1015 (6/23/01 3:07:45 pm) Reply
|
Re: Warping
Bows
Warped bows can sometimes be repaired, however there is always the
risk that a) the stick breaks or becomes more warped during repair
and b) the bow doesn't play like it did before
"surgery."
Laura
|
TerryM
 Registered
User Posts: 435 (6/24/01 10:19:41
am) Reply
|
Re: Warping
Bows
Bow can warp if left tightened for too long a period of time. I
would think also, that the weaker the stick the more the tendency to
warp or at least lose their camber. Brazilwood bows are more
susceptible to this. Bows that are warped or have lost their camber,
can be restored by heating the bow over dry heat and bending the bow
to the proper shape. Heating through the wood without burning is the
real trick of this process and good bow makers can do this without
damaging the fibers of the wood. The wood has to be heated entirely
through of the stick so that the wood fibers are completely heated
or it will lose its camber again. However, over heating the wood can
cause it to become brittle and to break easily. This is really a job
that needs to be done by a professional.
A friend of mine
had a bow re-cambered and the job was not done properly. The bow
flew apart while he was playing, just at the spot where the wood had
been heated. It was obvious that the person doing the job had
overheated the wood as it was darkened at the point of heating.
Terry
|
Steve
Drake Registered
User Posts: 369 (6/24/01 10:06:18
pm) Reply
Community Supporter
|
Re: Warping
Bows
Be sure it is really warped - a bad rehair can make a bow looked
warped when it is tightened.
My MP3's My Cello
Homepage |
Lisa
Shipman Registered
User Posts: 57 (6/26/01 8:55:09
am) Reply
|
My warped
bow
Actually, it's almost brand new. Not quite a year old and it's
pernambuco (did I spell that right?). The warp is very slight and it
seems to play the same but I certainly don't want it to get worse!
Above all I don't want to do anything while it's not being used to
make it warp further. It's my main bow and used daily. I'm always
careful to loosen the hair after I'm done.
|
Dick500 Registered User Posts: 96 (6/26/01 10:16:44 am) Reply
|
Warping
bows
Something else to consider:
A bow can be perfectly straight
when the hair is loose and be pulled into what appears to be a warp
if the tension on both sides of the ribbon of hair is not the same.
To test for this, check it out when the tension is off and then
tighten it up to playing tension and check it out again. If a "warp"
appears when the bow is tight, then simply getting it rehaired can
oftentimes cure the problem.
While heating a bow to
straighten it is the proper procedure for removing an actual warp,
it is always dangerous because the bow can break during the
straightening process--no matter how good and careful the repair
person is. I guess I would rather live with minor warps in my own
bows than run the risk of losing them altogether.
Dick
|