Storing Osage

[Scallorn]

  Just a quick question for the more experienced guys. I have 4 new osage staves cut green yesterday. I plan to have the sapwood off by the end of today. I will seal the back and ends with polly before putting them away. My question is, would it be suitable to store the staves in my attic? The heat and humidity up there can be really unpredictable at times and I am afraid the staves will warp, check, ect'.
Thoughts on storrage?

[Pat B]

Once the backs and ends are sealed well you can just store it out of the weather(rain,snow,etc.) and without heavy drafts. Air circulation, though is important. After a few weeks you can also go ahead and reduce one or all to floor tiller stage.

[Eric Krewson]

I ruined some mighty fine osage storing it in an attic, it shecked like crazy in spite of being sealed well with 4 coats of shellac, the temperature swing was too great.

[Stickhead]

I’ve had good luck just sealing the ends without debarking, and storing in a shed, subject to temperatures from 0-95 deg in VA.  I’m currently carving up a 15-yr-old Osage stave stored this way, and it’s just fine.

[Eric Krewson]

I have to add my osage was green when I put it in the attic, I was trying to quick dry it, big mistake. These were staves about 3" wide and 4" deep.

[Scallorn]

Mine are green as well. I have them sealed all over with clear coat. I think I'll just leave them in my shed for the next few weeks until I feel like working them down some more

[George Tsoukalas]

All over? The belly should be unsealed. The moisture has to leave for somewhere. Jawge

[BowEd]

I store mine in a steel shed on a rack after sealing ends and back.It can get very hot in there in the summer time so most times I like to prepare staves during cool weather so it can lose the majority of it's moisture before the heat comes in the summer time.
Some stress cracks while splitting are unavoidable and will appear whether sealed or not in any kind of weather.
Over here I need to remove the bark and sapwood.When the weather gets warm a pesky bug called the wood wasp will lay an egg maturing into a larvae to eat holes into wood.Even into heartwood many rings.

[bassman]

I have had good luck when I don't make them green with small trees by splitting in half, bark left on ,and sealing the ends, and storing in my basement at  60 degrees give or take.