Seasoning?

[SiongSA]

Hey guys the noob bowyer again, been out in the woods today and found a 5foot peice of greenwood, don't have aclue what it is but it seems pretty supple, anyway i here that seasoning will make the stave more supple over time but tbh i don't fancy waiting 2 years untill i can use my bow, is there anyway of speeding the process up? and what are the real advantages?

Sion

[Eric Garza]

I don't understand what you mean by the word "supple".  I don't think of wood as being supple, and it certainly doesn't become more supple as it seasons.

In terms of seasoning, the thicker the piece of wood is in its smallest dimension, the longer it will take to season (which basically means fall to a moisture content that's at equilibrium with the air). 

One way of speeding the process along is to rough your bow out to floor tiller stage, about to where you can brace it.  Then let it season while clamped to a 2 x 4 or something so it doesn't warp.  Once roughed out, the bow will only be 1/2 inch thick or so, so it should reach equilibrium moisture content in 3-6 months, depending on the humidity.  You could also put the bow & 2x4 in a hot box or kiln to force the process along.  That can dry it in just a few weeks or even a few days, depending.

[michbowguy]

yes, too many variables to pin point correct answer, but you can work right away on your bow as long as you take precautions.
moisture is not a bad thing.
moisture escaping too quickly will crack /split bow woods.
moisture seeping into un protected bows will cause excessive set and weaken the bows compression/tension characteristics.
it depends alot of how well the bow is made/design/upkeep.
you can make a bow in a day, but it only takes seconds to pull of the bowstring and break it.
just be carefull, and experiment.
bg

[Cameroo]

And to answer the question of the advantages of seasoning - the main one is so that you don't end up with a dog of a bow that takes a ton of set.  If I was you, I'd go find a straight grained board of maple, ash, or red oak, and work on that while patiently waiting for your freshly cut stave to season

There's not much point in making a bow out of green wood, unless you only want to shoot it a couple times!

[Pat B]

Do you live in or near a city in South Africa?   Find a local lumber company and get yourself a good board...but first go to the "How To" section and the first thread at the top is Jawge's(George Tsoukalas) website. Read it! It has all you need to know about building bows, from choosing the right board to finishing touches and everything in between. He probably also has info about cutting your own wood and seasoning it.  It would be well worth your time to read this first then come ask questions.