Reducing moisture in Hickory

[Lee Lobbestael]

Hey guys, I live in Michigan and its pretty humid here this time of year. I have a hickory stave roughed out into rough bow dimensions and I want to insure that it is dry enough to tiller. It seasoned all winter inside as a split stave. I don't have a moisture meter unfortunately. I may have access to an oven at work but if not I have an A.C unit I can put it by.
What temp and for how long could I fast dry it in the oven?
How long in the A.C?
Thanks guys

[Pat B]

Lee, if it has been in your house with AC and heat it should be pretty dry. Get it down to floor tiller stage and it will dry faster. It probably won't get to 6% M/C where hickory performs best but it will get you close. If it feels mushy as you tiller or begins taking on some set give it a few more weeks. If it feels snappy it good to go.

[BOWMAN53]

Send it to me in cali, its 102 and dry. I cant promise that ill give her back, but she sure will be dry 

[Lee Lobbestael]

Ok i'll take er to floor tiller and see how it feels. BOWMAN53 come up here and get some! The stuff is everywhere around here!

[BOWMAN53]

lol if only it were that easy to drive cross country

[osage outlaw]

I don't think an AC or heated house will get it dry enough.  I have had a roughed out hickory bow in my house for two years and it has gained water weight since I brought it inside.  Putting it in a car on a sunny day will help it to dry faster.  You take the chance of warping and checking though.  A hot box/bow oven would probably be the best and safest way.  I'm not touching another piece of hickory until I get a hot box made.

[George Tsoukalas]

Rough it out and floor tiller it. Often, you can tell it is dry if the shavings are crinkly. I'd weigh it every few days and see if the weight changes. I'd give it a week with no change before serious bending. Jawge

[Fred Arnold]

I'm in central Nebraska and the humidity is generally high but unpredictable so hickory is one of the woods I haven't worked with yet. I may give it a try in the future. I've seen some nice wide ringed shagbark from around the Missouri River area.   

[lostarrow]

Heat gun. lightly toast the belly after floor tiller. If you have an accurate scale(jeweler's) you can see the difference in weight ,and how much it rebounds. Experiment with a small scrap first for best results. You can heat in some reflex and/or recurve the tips  while you're at it.

[blackhawk]

Yup..rough it down to floor tiller...hot box it for a couple weeks....tiller till its ready to brace......temper it over a form and induce a couple inches of reflex...let it sit for a day or two....finish tiller...once finished and sealed always keep it in a place that's 25-40% rh

[BowEd]

Lee.... like George said reducing hickory after it's roughed out can take a few weeks in the house at 45% to 50% humidity.Weighing it to monitor it.I keep mine by a dehumidifier at that humidity.I live in Iowa.Summertime it's 70% humidity or more.A hot box hurries things up like blackhawk said.I store them horizontal too.Just what I do.The thing with hickory is to keep it dry in between sessions of tillering.Back in the house or hot box.No standing it in the corner on cement etc.I've done a bunch of hickorys.Heat and non heat treated.Here's a pignut 64"NTN pulling 58#@28".A scooch under 1and3/4" wide at fades to midlimb then to 1/2" wide tips.No heat treatment.Shot well over 1000 arrows through it.Braced numerous hours.Before tillering just balanced the limb profile to 1and1/2" reflex.Still holds almost an inch of reflex resting.Very good bow.No money shot but believe me she's in tiller.I really like hickory wood for bows.Make practically any style or design you want within your experience window. It's pretty flexible in that catagory too.Since I've discovered the nicety of sending pictures I'll send you this.

[BowEd]

Front view

[twisted hickory]

I have a hickory bow that this winter pulled 55 lbs at 27 now after humid pennsylvania summer it now pulls 49 lbs and the bow has taken some set. This spring it had 0 set. I have switched to black locust to see what happens. So far BL handles high humidity much better. To quick dry a bow put it in a car with the windows cracked. I did this to black locust for 5 days. It went from way too wet to tiller to just right. Be sure to spend some money on a humidity meter for the air and temp as you can ruin a stave when drying too fast.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Greg