cutting staves

[deersled]

I am brand new to this sight...great info. Just wondering, how do you decide what would make a good stave. I'm not talking about the "type" of wood. Mainly what are you looking for in a piece of wood that would make you think its a good stave. How big should it be? Anything else would be appreciated.

[sailordad]

well im pretty new yet too, however the ones ive gotten from of the nice folks on here have been about 2x4x72

different woods you look for differant things,generally i belive you want thicker late growth rings versus early growth rings.

hang on though,someone with more knowledge will be along sooner or later to help ya out


                                                                             peace,
                                                                                   tim
                                                                     

[Justin Snyder]

You can make a bow from a sapling of 2" diameter on most anything. When splitting bows out of wood, size depends some on the type of wood.  On woods that you want heartwood you obviously need a bigger log since you will scrape off the sapwood and end with a smaller diameter. A good 10-12" diameter will give you a few staves and is manageable for 1 guy.  Justin

[richpierce]

I look for a straight tree that has no branches for 6-8 feet, no knots, no holes, no apparent twisty bark.  I want it to be about 4-6" thick at the top so once I take the bark off there's still plenty of wood to get 2 or more staves from it.

[jape]

A good 10-12" diameter will give you a few staves and is manageable for 1 guy.  Justin

Oh yeah? You must be very strong Justin, a six foot + by 12" diameter log would weigh a fair bit green. I could manage it but would break something if i tried walking out of the bush with it on my shoulder.

[JackCrafty]

For me, the most important thing in choosing a stave is the question,"Does it look like a bow?". The staves I choose are as close to the final shape of the bow a possible.  Here is a list of the features I look for, in order:

1 Free wood
2 Green wood (or recently cut with minimal cracks/checks)
3 Sapling diameter between 1 1/2" and 4" and between 48" and 68" long
4 Free of knots on the part that will become the back
5 No serious bug damage or rot
6 Straight front profile (if it's not pretty straight or has ANY twist - I reject it)
7 Reflexed side profile (or, even better, double curved)
8 Juniper
9 Osage/Mulberry
10 Hickory
11 All other wood species
12 Staves purchased from reputable dealer

Number 12 is actually the easiest way to go....but there's something about harvesting the wood myself that's addicting.

[catfishon]

heres what i looked for , but im still learning also

oh .and dont pass any like this
 

[ricktrojanowski]

Catfishon- that last piece looks like a bit of a challenge.  Is that osage.  Nice haul.

[M-P]

Hi, I'm not the world's biggest expert, but the things I look for are:
1) Free is good.   It's even better if someone else has already cut it down!
2) STRAIGHT GRAIN.  The bark will usually clue you in.  The straighter the better if you're just starting.  Twisted logs are a real pain to split and sure you can steam out some propeller, but it's a lot of work.  Wavy logs produce wavy staves, which is OK if you like character staves, but you will have trouble tillering character staves.
3) Given a choice thinner rings = stronger wood for most conifers (yew, junipers, etc.)   Thicker rings = stronger wood for most hard woods, especially ring porous woods like oak or elm.  Trees growing in the open with plenty of water have the widest rings.  So, look hfor ardwoods growing in good conditions, but look for conifers that have been growing under harsh conditions (ie. high elevation, high latitude, deep shade.)
4) Avoid dead trees unless you're really sure the wood is still sound.
5) Trees are heavy!  Logs over ~ 8 inches in diameter quickly get difficult to handle, and potentially more dangerous to fell.  I like 4-6 inch trees, cause they're easy and safe for one person to handle.  You can get a lot of staves from one large tree, but you had better have  husky friends, power equipment and experience felling trees. 
Ron

[Pappy]

Nice load of Osage,I really like that last one.
   Pappy

[GregB]

On the larger diameter trees, carry a mall and wedges (1/2 dozen or more needed) with you to split the logs prior to getting them out. If I was working by myself, I'd probably opt for the smaller diameters...if you have help then go for the larger stuff as well.

[Ryano]

A good 10-12" diameter will give you a few staves and is manageable for 1 guy.  Justin

Oh yeah? You must be very strong Justin, a six foot + by 12" diameter log would weigh a fair bit green. I could manage it but would break something if i tried walking out of the bush with it on my shoulder.

Ah, I think he meant manageable to split by your self and then carry it out.....lol.

[tom sawyer]

I like a tree 8-10" in diameter a foot above the base.  I feel like this is the best of both worlds.  Its big/old enough that the tree has laid down a couple inches of straight clean wood over its early branches/imperfections.  Yet its still relatively young (being typically 15 years old or so) so it has a decent growth rate and as a result, reasonably thick growth rings that are easier to chase (if you're not using a white wood, it helps to have a decent ring to chase).

I also like a tree that is straight and pretty much round, and one that is not leaning to any great degree.  I try and find ones that don't have branches, but if its got the other stuff I described and also a branch towards the upper end, I can live with that.  I know I'll get three full-length quarters and one shorter one where the branch is.

I try and "read" the bark and find stuff that doesn't look llike a barber pole, but I'm not always able to predict what is going to have a little twist.  Once its cut, I usually try and make something out of it.  Firewood is a last resort.

Good luck, its fun and very satisfying harvesting your own wood.