Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: chriss880 on February 20, 2009, 10:32:00 am

Title: seasoning wood
Post by: chriss880 on February 20, 2009, 10:32:00 am

how long does seasoning take?

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: Hillbilly on February 20, 2009, 11:01:11 am

There is no set answer. Depends on the type of wood, size of the stave, and environment you are keeping it in. You can rough out a stave to near-bow dimensions and have it dry enough to tiller in a few weeks if you have a hot box or keep it in a dry, heated house. You ideally need to get the moisture content of the wood down to around 8% or so. True seasoning is really a different process, and may take years. You can actually force-dry a green bowstave in a few  days and get it shooting. It won't make as good of a bow, probably, but will work.

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: nek on February 24, 2009, 07:53:51 am

Chris,
Read the Bowyers Bible volume 4 chapter on wood. It can take 10 years to season a large log or ten days to season a floor tillered bow. Also the Bent Stick has a good description of how to do it.
Ken

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: Pat B on February 24, 2009, 09:32:15 am

Remember, there is a difference between dry wood and seasoned wood. Even though you can dry wood in a relatively short time I don't believe you can season a stave in a short time. That takes at least a few years.IMO

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: yazoo on February 24, 2009, 11:59:54 am

when you start using seasoned wood you want rush the drying process again, :-X

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: the q force on February 24, 2009, 01:12:00 pm

as far as seasoning goes, the only way to go about it is to let time do it's thing, drying can be done (as said before) with a hotbox, or (my favorite method) sticking the stave, split stave, or what-have ya in a car right on the windshield during a month or so of hot sunny days. but seasoning can take years as the wood looses minute amounts of moisture through the surface, and hardens as it does, a bow can gain a noticeable weight from it's original tiller through "seasoning"

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: Gordon on February 24, 2009, 03:36:02 pm

If you rough out a bow from green wood, then set it aside to dry it can be ready a matter weeks rather than months.

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: JackCrafty on February 24, 2009, 04:58:19 pm

How long does making wine take?

As far as I can tell, you can't season a stave for too long.
But, if you think like me, a quickly dried stave is a lot like making beer.

And I prefer beer. ;D

Title: Re: seasoning wood
Post by: shamus on February 24, 2009, 07:26:04 pm

+1 to Hillbilly.

Thoughts of mine on seasoning/drying wood: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/08/drying-and-seasoning-wood.html


hope it helps..