Drying Apple Without Checking?

[calinb]

My broadleaf maple "learner" staves are drying in the basement (probably not vine maple, as I originally thought, but I'll know in the spring from the new shoots). I've debarked, split, and roughed out the sides of the staves but not the bellies so far.

I have a very old apple tree that produces great fruit, but it's too out of control tall be be a good producer of reachable apples. Accordingly, I cut three of the tall limbs from it today (leaving three others) to start getting it back under control.  They are about 4" to 7" in diameter. The trunk must be 2' across!

Hopefully at least some of the limbs will not be too twisty and they won't check. The Boyer's Bible Vol. 4 says that apples is prone to checking and twisting but, other than that, is a good bow wood. What is the best approach to processing and drying to reduce the chance of checking? Sure--I'll coat the ends very well with latex paint or wood glue but what about:

1. debarking now vs. later

2. splitting now vs. later

3. roughing out

I'm in no hurry for the staves. I don't care if it takes a year or more for them to dry, if there's a way to reduce the chance of checking.

Thanks!

[joachimM]

If you can rough out the staves right now, I 'd do that (leave tips full width) and next coat the staves in wood glue to seal them entirely. This way they'll dry slowly with minimal checking.
If not, debark them and seal completely. Borers like Cerambycid species lay their eggs on bark. Debarking will avoid attack as I have experienced.

[calinb]

Thanks, joachimM.

Latex paint is probably the cheapest sealant for the job but I hate to paint the back, if the first ring under the bark is what I'll want to leave for the back as it is for a maple selfbow. I'll have to check on that. I don't even know if apple will be maple or more like like Osage or Yew or whatever? I'm just a newbie and four volumes of the Bowyer's Bible is too much to read before getting started. I'm jumping around in the books a lot--which is how most people read the Holy Bible too, come to think of it! 

[Hamish]

Do exactly what Joachim recommends, otherwise you will waste a lot of good bow wood.

[calinb]

I guess a big advantage of wood glue besides sealing is it sands nicely.

[joachimM]

I don't even know if apple will be maple or more like like Osage or Yew or whatever?

Apple is said to be very flexible wood, similar in properties to Elm. Strong in tension, not as good in compression as osage or yew.
Simple wood glue can just be washed off, as it is water soluble.

[sapling bowyer]

I have heard that apple checks easily like plum. I cut some small diameter plums and sealed one of them, but left the other open. Both have never checked after about 2 weeks and I'm pretty sure its plum so the same case may be with you. I suggest you to not de bark if you are not going to use it immediately and if you are going to store it indoors. Seal the ends and any place debarked and simply let it wait. If you see that it is still drying too quickly store it in a low ventilated airless place. If you are going to leave it outdoors which I don't suggest the debark it and seal the whole thing. Try to split it too a small diameter because small diameter stave are easier to dry without checking. Thats all I know good luck 

[calinb]

Thanks! I felled a wild plum tree a year ago but did know I'd be making bows at the time. I sealed the ends of two forks from it with wood glue for slingshots. Only the smaller one didn't check badly.