drying staves

[NewBowyer]

Is it recommended to dry unsplit,whole staves with the bark on,or remove it to speed the drying process? I know from drying trimmings for firewood they can take a LONG time to dry in the round with the bark on so I'd like to speed that up if possible.

[stuckinthemud]

You should cleave the staves down to a managable size, do not leave them whole under any circumstances  Most of my staves are between 3 and 5 inches diameter and I always halve them. I  find more than 3 inches across and the stave is nearly guaranteed to check heavily as it seasons.
As far as stripping the bark goes it depends on where in the world you live, Stateside bowyers need to strip the bark as they have lots of bugs that will burrow under the bark and wreak havoc.  Im in the Uk and leave the bark on. If you strip the bark you will often need to paint a generous coat of sealant, like pva, to slow down the drying or the wood checks all  over the surface. There is no 'fast' when it comes to drying timber,  except if you very quickly rough the stave down to near bow size and then seal it all over. That can reduce the time to weeks not years, although as the rough rule for drying is a year per inch, this is per inch measured from each surface so 2inch thick stave might be largely dry in 6 months as it dries from 3 sides

[Pat B]

At least split them in half and seal the ends well. The moisture can leave from the belly.

[George Tsoukalas]

What wood?

[NewBowyer]

The one on the bottom is honeysuckle but I don't know about the other 2. Just gathered a few that looked like possibles but I can't ID them w/o leaves.
Also have 2 more just like the top 2.

[bownarra]

Spend more time in the woods looking for 'perfect' trees. This time is time very well spent. Not only will tillering be easier for you to get the hang off but the bows you make will likely be better if you start with good wood.
The bottom stave looks good but the others should be put aside.
Split that honeysuckle in half with the reflexed side as the back.
Leave it a few days.
Then rough out a bow to floor tiller. Leaving the limbs a decent width like 1 3/4" wide. Also make sure to leave the handle area full width too with no narrowing.
Then periodically weigh your stave and keep note of the weight loss.
Once the weight loss stops you can work the bow closer but stop at the first sign of set.
Weigh again and this time when storing it you can raise the temperature a little to encourage it to lose more moisture. Rig a hotbox of some kind.
There will come a point where it no longer loses weight. Then you can finish the bow.

[dylanholderman]

Personally I would NOT split the honeysuckle, for me it always wants to run off and leave before it reaches the end especially while it’s green.
It looks like you’re only going to get one stage out of that piece anyway so I would just rough out the belly side with whatever tools you have so the moisture has somewhere to go.
With honeysuckle I’ve not had any problems leaving the bark on to season just get the ends sealed up well.
If you do rough it out and it checks on the belly don’t worry about it to much, those style of checks will typically stop once they reach the pith.

[NewBowyer]

Thanks all for the advice and guidance. No offense to anyone but I'm not going to split the honeysuckle because it's only 2 1/2"-2 3/4" diameter. Will work the belly side of the limbs just a bit and then let it dry. If that side checks any it should be where I'll be shaving the limbs anyway, right? Just for my knowledge- why is it usually preferable to split staves? Is it so they can dry better?

[NewBowyer]

Bownarra are the other 2 bad because they're too crooked?

[willie]

Just for my knowledge- why is it usually preferable to split staves? Is it so they can dry better?

split or sawn dries better than round. splitting (when practical) also reveals twisting grain. If you have a cut off from the stave, you can split it to see about twist. you can work it down to near bow dimensions to dry faster 3/4" or so. Are you planning a bend through the handle bow? or wish to keep a stiff handle?


 

If that side checks any it should be where I'll be shaving the limbs anyway, right?

only if the check does not go to deep. a stave will loose a lot of "free" water the first few days and then start looseng the "bound" water.  I like to monitor the drying frequently and if checking begins to show, then move the stave to a cooler or not so dry location. If you are still heating indoors, then I would watch it carefully.

[NewBowyer]

I was planning a stiff-handled bow with a radiused shelf. I sealed the ends and will work the belly of the limbs a bit this week, then watch it closely as it dries. Appreciate all the help.

[willie]

the thicker handle area will be more susceptible to checking and will require a longer drying time.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, and welcome to PA