A bow in my bow?
Is there any way to repair a warped wooden bow - steaming?
I have four bows, three decent Chinese bows, and the original antique bow that came with my violin. The original bow is very light, and out plays my new bows. The only problem is that the antique bow looks ridiculous. When loose, the stick is straight, parallel with the bow hair. When tightened, the stick becomes a convex arc, resembling a bow for shooting arrows, rather than playing violin. It seems like a waste to toss out such a fast bow.
What should I do?
Replies (9)
The balance/weight of the wood seems to be the biggest factor in how the bow plays, not its odd shape.
So you suggest heat. I assume steam? I could just leave the bow on my dashboard during work and see what happens.
No not steam. Get Big Momma your girlfriend to sit on it til it's right again.
A bow can be straightened (unless the problem is extremely severe) by a trained bow repair person using an alohol lamp and slowly straightening the bow. The more the wood was cured when the bow was originally made, the less this warping happens. But changes in humidity as well as leaving the bow tightened when not in use will cause any bow to eventually warp.
Trying it yourself is an easy recipe for disaster. Too close to the flame, burn spot on bow. Too far, doesn't heat enough to bend. You can bend it wrong and now have 2 or 3 different bends in different directions, commonly referred to as kinks. You can also change the camber if bending incorrectly.
Seems like a lot of risk for a procedure that your local shop can usually do (and will stand the risk) for a fairly modest cost. If you do have a bow that was made using unseasoned wood and it warps regularily, and you really love the bow, then I suggest taking a class in this and doing it yourself (which of course will save a lot of money). But to try it without training, on what could be a very good bow, and at least is a bow you like, seems like a fast way to ruin a bow.
Does anyone know of bow repair/making shops or classes in the NY area (NYC/Westchester)?
You might check with Salchow on 54th st. Linn Hennings has classes up in New Hampshire during the summer. Classes are between 1 and 4 weeks depending on what you want to work on. Nice break from the city for a week.
You can do this yourself. I recently straightened my prize Sartory using a little torch that I usually use to make Creme Brule, a ball peen hammer, and some 3-in-1 oil.
Greetings,
Likewise, I have corrected someone`s priceless Tourte using the same equipment although I substituted lard for 3 in 1 oil. I found that by liberally covering the ball peen hammer with the lard it was much less painful to remove from my butt afterwards.
CHeers,
Buri
Just curious if the hammer was inserted by the owner of the bow or self applied after you realized the damage, lol.
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July 9, 2007 at 12:15 AM · It can be re-bent using heat, the way they're bent when made. Who i got to do it would depend on how good (or expensive) it was. THat will change the way it plays though, obviously :)