Curing time for Hickory?

[GreenwoodBlacksmith]

I made a hickory bow last winter in 2 months from stump to bow including sinew it ended up being one of my best shooting bows  I ended up force drying the ruffed out stave by sealing the back and ends with shellac & hanging it from the sealing above a heater vent , these days I'm not as much in a hurry I weigh the ruffed out stave with a digital food scale  & keep weighing it tell it quits losing weight & then I do a little more force drying with a electric blanket , but if your in a big hurry you could ruff it out &  put it on the wall inside @ 50% RH for a month it probably would be good to go for a serviceable bow That's what was recommended to me when I asked the same question you did.

The electric blanket is a brilliant idea! Thanks!

[GreenwoodBlacksmith]

What part of Iowa you from Greenwood?

The Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.

[GreenwoodBlacksmith]

I think the only way through this is to cut a half dozen or more staves. Speed dry 1 or 2 in whatever way you can for as long as you can stand it and start makin'. Just accept the fact that the first bows will be a little sub standard. They will still shoot fine. Be happy in the fact that your future bows will have better wood to start with.

Great advice. Thanks!

[Danzn Bar]

I have used an aluminum dryer vent hose about 6 ft long, hung from the floor joists in my basement with a 60 watt light bulb in the bottom of it for a dry box.
Just hang the bow or bow blank from the joist inside the aluminum hose with the light bulb in the bottom will be just like a dry box.  The heat rising through the hose creates an air flow from the bottom to top with a heat source to help the drying process........I have dried three hickory staves to bow dimensions in just a few days with this system.  And I use it during the tillering process to keep the stave dry......
DBar

[GreenwoodBlacksmith]

I have used an aluminum dryer vent hose about 6 ft long, hung from the floor joists in my basement with a 60 watt light bulb in the bottom of it for a dry box.
Just hang the bow or bow blank from the joist inside the aluminum hose with the light bulb in the bottom will be just like a dry box.  The heat rising through the hose creates an air flow from the bottom to top with a heat source to help the drying process........I have dried three hickory staves to bow dimensions in just a few days with this system.  And I use it during the tillering process to keep the stave dry......
DBar

I am definitely doing this! Thanks!

[DC]

When you do this keep checking for checking  . Especially for the first few days or weeks. Turn the bow/stave top for bottom regularly. It's a great method but sometimes it can be a little too fast for wet/damp wood.

[Stick Bender]

The summer cut hickory staves that I debarked over the summer were very damp I would have been afraid to force drying them tell I had them inside @ 50% RH for a couple weeks  I would make sure the ends & back were sealed with shellac , wood loses a lot of moisture quickly for the first couple of weeks after being cut .

[BowEd]

OK.Your a good 5 hours from me.I'm by Corydon,Iowa.About an hour or so straight south of Des Moines.By the Missouri border.