Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: LEGIONNAIRE on March 01, 2011, 11:05:51 pm

Title: Seasoning wood
Post by: LEGIONNAIRE on March 01, 2011, 11:05:51 pm

Hey guys just a question regarding wood seasoning. This year I will be having ALOT of wood in my shed down in southern California. the thing is I have some osage orange staves, black locust and mulberry. As you know so cal is notorious for very hot weather 120 where I live and pretty dry. my question is if theres anything I can do to prevent over drying? I was thinking of leaving the black locusts in log form so they will conserve moisture. They will be away from the sun. Sometimes it gets pretty humid aswell.
thanks

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: toomanyknots on March 01, 2011, 11:25:40 pm

I think that instead of trusting the bark to keep it from checking, I would debark and seal the back really really good, and then some, just to make sure. And then I would take some (maybe the best ones) inside the house to make sure that some dry slow, and to try to keep the percentage of potential check casualties down, :). I don't know about black locust, but osage and mulberry both check freaking ridiculously.

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: denny on March 01, 2011, 11:38:08 pm

Paint them with parrafin, cheap and works like bark. Denny

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: LEGIONNAIRE on March 02, 2011, 03:00:04 pm

Thanks :) sounds like ALOT of work, i have like 30+ saves, will probably have somehing like 60 when summer begins.. ill probably only do he osage just because its so difficult to come by.

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: DEllis on March 02, 2011, 03:57:04 pm

Just a thought, but if the moisture content is already quite low, could you just wrap them up in a tarp to keep the moisture in??
Darcy :)

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: osage outlaw on March 02, 2011, 04:25:24 pm

I just lost some osage staves because I trusted the bark to protect the backs.  It lifted and they split everywhere.

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: toomanyknots on March 02, 2011, 04:59:20 pm

"wrap them up in a tarp to keep the moisture in"

I tryed that once and ended up with some moldy staves. The staves were really fresh and back was still a little wet from pulling the bark off though, so that was probably the reason there. Most of the good ones were ok after catching it early (hackberry),  after taking em out in the fresh air, but I had to ditch a sycamore stave.

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: Del the cat on March 02, 2011, 05:04:29 pm

Send them to England ;D.
Del

Title: Re: Seasoning wood
Post by: DEllis on March 02, 2011, 05:16:40 pm

Quote from: toomanyknots on March 02, 2011, 04:59:20 pm

"wrap them up in a tarp to keep the moisture in"

I tryed that once and ended up with some moldy staves. The staves were really fresh and back was still a little wet from pulling the bark off though, so that was probably the reason there. Most of the good ones were ok after catching it early (hackberry),  after taking em out in the fresh air, but I had to ditch a sycamore stave.

I expect that could be a problem that's why specified if they were already quite dry. Just to keep them at a safe MC.......not acually while drying them. Never tried it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work ??? maybe with some vent holes left open to let out a bit of moisture but not too much?
Darcy :)