Best ocean spray staves EVER

[Taxus brevifolia]

May look a bit rough but this is the fattest ocean spray I've ever found. I think I can work around the knots.

[Springbuck]

  Oh, yeah, you got this.  That second one is so little, but so clean!

[Hawkdancer]

Have fun!  Those look like really stick bows !  Not familiar with ocean spray, though
Hawkdancer

[DC]

Those are good ones. Dry them carefully

[Bryce]

Looks good.
Just a quick heads up. Best time to cut is in winter. This time of year they are sucking up and running moisture. It’s gonna be hard to dry those without having them split.
I would seal up the knots and dip the ends a couple times in some water proof wood floor or floor wax.
Leave the bark on. After a year rough out and re-seal. Wait another 6 months and continue to build the bow:)

[Del the cat]

Should be good for 150# @26" 
Del

[Taxus brevifolia]

Thanks! I was hoping for info on how to handle it, you guys came through!

[DC]

I put mine in a clear plastic tube after sealing it up like Bryce said. Monitor it daily and clear out any condensation. Leave it in the tube for a month or so. You almost can't dry it slow enough. Very tough stuff to dry.

[Morgan]

I’ve heard of people leaving highly figured wood submerged in water for months before drying to keep it from splitting and warping. Would this work for staves that is hard to dry?

[DC]

We've discussed this before but I think unless you have a very deep cold oxygen freeish pond (a deep well may work)I think you would just be accelerating the rotting process. Notice I said "think", I don't really know. I'm pretty sure that if I threw a piece of OS in my fish pond it would be mush pretty quick.

[Morgan]

What if you put a stave in a 4” pvc pipe with bleach water? The bleach should kill any rotting bacteria or fungus. Would it adversely affect the wood?

[DC]

No idea. Personally I think it just delays the inevitable. Sooner or later you have to dry the wood. By soaking it you're just delaying the drying time.

[burchett.donald]

    This is a good read...http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,56125.msg766730.html#msg766730
  Steve b. has supplied me with beautiful staves absolutely zero checks...I have been told by him that he uses and old "sleeping bag" after stripping the bark off a green stave, he wraps it to slow the drying... He also uses a kerf on a stiff handle design...Steve doesn't post here anymore...I just finished my last stave from him and hope to post it this upcoming week...He may respond to a PM...Hope this helps guy's...
                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                        Don                     

[Bryce]

    This is a good read...http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,56125.msg766730.html#msg766730
  Steve b. has supplied me with beautiful staves absolutely zero checks...I have been told by him that he uses and old "sleeping bag" after stripping the bark off a green stave, he wraps it to slow the drying... He also uses a kerf on a stiff handle design...Steve doesn't post here anymore, but he is what I would call a very knowledgable bowyer, especially when it comes to OS...I just finished my last stave from him and hope to post it this upcoming week...He may respond to a PM...Hope this helps guy's...
                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                        Don    Burchett                   

There really is t any reason to kerf the stave at all, or wrap it in plastic when the bark works all the same. Idk why Steve does it like that but to each there own. Steve is a guy who likes to keep to himself. I’ve never had to. I just seal em and wait. When cut in the coldest part of winter they don’t check on me.

I have made quite a few from OS i think I posted one on here. I’ll try and find it so you can see a few examples. Josh (elktracker) has made a few as well I know his is posted on this forum.                                       

[Bryce]

I had to fix the pictures Bc photobucket is a jerk. But I found em.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=49397.msg674467#msg674467

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=26500.0



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