Drying Time?

[tiknuttle]

How many hours by the fire place will it take to season a maple stave? I have had the log for about 4 months now, but I just split it and shaped it down to bow stave size. I have been putting it by the fire place for a few hours each night to dry it.

[sailordad]

never dried one by a fire place
put some into foreplaces though

i do know if you force dry it to fast it could split the stave
tap it on a concrete floor, if it makes a "ringing" type noise itr should be good to go
if it just go "thunk" or makes a "thud" sound,leave it dry some more

[tiknuttle]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about making a box with christmas lights inside for a heat box, but i thought why not save the elictricity and effort and use the fireplace.

[Kitsu]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about making a box with christmas lights inside for a heat box, but i thought why not save the elictricity and effort and use the fireplace.

the xmas lights would prolly be better, the fireplace may not dry the wood evenly, best bet would be to actually make a hotbox, also, pass on the xmas lights if you build one, use actual lightbulbs, itll be worth it,