Carbon Fiber bow camber

[CPike]

I'm posting this here instead of the "Bows and rosin" forum, as I have a question for the luthiers. Is it possible to adjust the camber in a carbon fiber bow? I asked my luthier if he'd ever done this and he said no, but that didn't mean it wasn't possibly do-able. A colleague speculated that the heat required to bend the material might, in fact, damage the carbon fiber itself. Any ideas or experience?

Thanks, in advance,

cdp

[Maxvla]

I'm not aware of any method to do this. The heat used in the process of making the bow is done before the finish is applied, and likely these is no bending involved in the making process at all. Any attempt to do this after the fact would certainly ruin the finish (since most are painted or laquered). Varnish on a wooden bow responds much better with heat, and a wooden bow would take less heat to bend than a carbon.

These bows are made by laying the carbon weave bundle in a mold, then it is injected with the filler (clear) material that gives the bow's shaft form. It is then baked and let cool, then sanded to shape, probably by machine, to the desired balance. There's very little handwork done on most carbon bows.

[Andrew McGregor]

Nope, it is completely impossible to change the shape of a carbon part after it has set; the resin is thermoset, not thermoplastic, which means it won't melt or soften. And, it would probably be very expensive (read, new tooling... some tens of thousands) to do it beforehand too.

[sjd007]

Originally Posted by Andrew McGregor

Nope, it is completely impossible to change the shape of a carbon part after it has set.

+1

I have dabbled in making carbon fibre parts for my motorbike, and indeed the carbon sheet is set in an epoxy resin, or heat set resin, but the main thing is once set, it is set forever. Very light, strong, reasonable flexible, but past a point it just cracks. No adjustment possible!

Simon