This is a tough question particually as the Red Wing is such an old bow . Your dealing with old glue if you apply too much heat or twist the limbs the other way much you could make things a lot worse . If it was my bow [ lusted after a Red Wing Hunter since the mid 70's ] I would reconcile myself to the fact the bow has past it's used by date and add it to the no shoot collection .
If your intent on attempting to untwist the limbs , do not do any sanding what so ever on the limbs , you will ruin your tiller and the only way to fix that is with more sanding and before you know it you have lost a bunch of draw weight . A jig and wedges would not be worth the effort as how far to twist the limbs past straight in order to straighten them is a bit hit and miss , you'll have to fly by the seat of your pants and use your knee and hands .
Running under hot water in the manner you have described is about the safest way for someone with no experience in bowmaking procedures to go assuming your bow still has a good finish , perhaps a coating of wax may help but it would be messy . I would not use steam on a laminated bow ,as epoxy , wood and fibreglass are such different materials .
As for other heat sources I would not heat the limbs with anything that puts out more heat than a hair dryer if the hot water trick does not work . I seen people do the same by leaving the bow in the car which is parked in the sun and them twist and hold . Naturally they let the bow cool before stringing and shooting . Very likely it will take you several attempts at the mild heat , twist and hold process to get the limbs untwisted . Perhaps a cloth folded in several layers over the limb if you are applying heat from a heat gun may defuse the heat enough for it to be safe but I'd be carefull .
Good luck and be sure to apply heat evenly over a wider area and not concentrate it as a local delamination is likely due to the old glue and timber laminations .
In my experience bow limbs do develop a memory and the bow will want to return to the twist sooner or later particually if you do not use a bow stringer . I never unstring my recurves without a bow stringer as more recurve bows are damaged in the stringing , unstringing process than not . Guess thats why I love my straight limbed selfbows and deflex reflex bows so much .
regards Jacko
