Bodnik weather Testing

I have been asked to do some strange things over the years, and this is definitely the strangest and most extreme. Henry Bodnik ,owner of Bearpaw products has asked for a test that I realy consider abusing a bow, and only did this because Henry requested it.

The torture started in mid winter in Alberta when I took 3 new bows , A 56" Custom slick Stick, a Mohawk Chief Recurve, and a Mohawk Chief Hybrid ,out doors and hung them in a tree for a few months , totally unprotected from the weather . Henry wanted to show that his finish was up to the task of protecting your bow during any weather you could find your self in. We had just about everything from rain, snow sleet ,thaw and freeze cycles, and temperatures down to the -30 range. The only precautions I took were to grease the limb inserts on the Mohawk bows, to protect them from rust.

I did take the bows down for a few shooting sessions during this time and they all have survived in perfect condition. Then spring arrived and the hot days started. The bows were still outside unprotected from the elements in direct sun as the temperatures climbed. The surface temperatures were nearing 40C at times, and the bows survived unhurt but covered in dust and grit, and sap from the trees. The tiller is still good in all of them, and being shot while hot did not have any effect other than the strings did stretch over the months they have been left strung in the elements.

At this point I thought I was finished and the abuse could stop. Henry had other ideas, and wanted to test the new glue process to the max . The question came up "What happens if a bow is left in a vehicle on a hot day? " My answer to this has always been, It will probably de-laminate, especially if the bow is strung. The same as what happens if we leave it in the sun ? etc. We all know Black heats up faster in the sun also , and I always make sure to avoid overheating black limbed bows from the direct sun. I have experienced limb failures from this on an expensive set of ILF limbs in the past when I left the bow strung on a hot day sitting in the sun on a black rack . It isn't old wives tales that the sun can delaminate a bow.

Henry insisted I string up a bow and place it in the car and monitor the temperatures, then take it out while hot, check tiller, draw it, and shoot it. I wasn't to excited about the drawing and shooting part , but I did agree to do it. The first day we hit temperatures inside the car of 54 c , which I was monitoring with the indoor/outdoor house thermometer , weather station . I placed the sensor in the car in the shade to measure the car's cab temperatures.

So day 1, 53c , tiller is fine, drawing is fine, Tiller check after drawing is fine, and them I shot it a few times while still hot, and re measured the tiller again. Nothing has changed , it survived.

As expected Henry wanted hotter, so I repeat this again and day 2 results are hotter, 54/55c and the Mowhawk Chief Hybrid survived again, and as expected Henry is asking for hotter, he wanted to see it soak in 60c for an hour or two. Getting to 60c was more difficult than expected, however with the trucks heater on full for about 20 minutes ,and the black truck facing the mid day sun I did get that final boost to 60c and it stayed there for over an hour. {The black truck gets hotter than the car.}

I considered wearing a face shield and helmet to draw the bow and shoot it, but didn't. I should have, but the bow proved to be able to take this torture and survive . The tiller is still good, and it stayed together, and shoots just fine. Shooting a bow that is 60c is certainly nerve racking. and not something I want to do again . This si not something you want to do to your own bow. It is abuse to the extreme, and it could just hurt you , and your bow. DON'T DO IT .

I don't know of any other manufacturers that would want to subject their bows to these temperature extreme's, however this was done to demonstrate that Bearpaw/Bodnik has faith in their glue process. If a failure had happened it would have been public knowledge , as I was also reporting on the hot testing in Facebook as I was baking the bows in the truck . There would have been no way to not reveal a disaster should it have happened . Luckily nothing went sideways , the bows survived temperature extreme's , rain, snow, sleet ,hail, sun, dirt ,sap , and anything else nature could throw at them and some extra abuse with the 60c /140F strung temperature , and shooting the bow at this temperature.

I still strongly advise protecting your bow from the heat, especially when it is strung, and in a vehicle or in direct sunlight on hot days and I will continue to avoid these conditions .