Fire Hardening • What is it?

PowDuck · 01-10-2002, 06:21 AM

Saw in another topic a guy spoke of fire hardening the 6-7" of the tip of his wooden arrows. I've heard this before but never asked:

WHAT IS IT and HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Romans 8:28

dscott · 01-10-2002, 08:08 AM

Powduck,

The way I fire harden my arrows is to take a torch and heat up the area I want to harden. The trick is to get it as hot as possible but not to let the wood catch on fire. Some Indians used this method to harden arrows. He he he not with a torch though. If you get a flame from the wood the fire is consuming the arrow and making it weaker.

The wood, for reasons I do not totally understand, is harder than before. (Perhaps because the moisture has been removed) Does anyone know why it works?

Most importantly,<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>, it looks really cool.

dscott · 01-10-2002, 08:20 AM

Oh I forgot!

I have only done fire hardening with hard woods. I'm not sure it would work with softer woods like cedar. (but it sure would smell good)

PowDuck · 01-10-2002, 07:13 PM

Thanks for the info. Do you actually go so far as to char the wood? or does it change colors at all? You mentioned that it looks good. If you don't do it to cedar, what do you do it to? hardwoods? <img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>

Anybody got a picture? I feel kinda duh in this area. <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

Romans 8:28

dscott · 01-11-2002, 08:05 AM

Powduck,

Yes,hardwoods and I heat them untill they turn a brown color.

I will try to post some pics but it may be a day or two.