Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on January 05, 2021, 04:44:50 pm
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Springbuck gave me a big stash of staves. I notice some signs of bugs in some of the wood. What do you guys use to make those staves safe to stash with the rest of your staves?
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Fire? >:D
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I know on fresh cut lumber you can mix borax in water and spray on the wood. Keeps the critters at bay. If your staves are debarked and there ain’t bugs already bored in there, it ought to work the same.
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Heart wood bows are true works of art, and diverse. Hope some thing works for you with the bug wood so that you can use it.
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On Osage staves that showed no signs of borers I’ve sprayed the bark down with numerous different bug sprays I’ve had on hand. (Raid, wasp spray, etc.), and haven’t had any problems. But if there was already evidence of borer holes it has not worked. I assume the spray never reached the borer that was already inside the wood. At that point I would go ahead and try to work the stave down past the borer holes and then seal the back.
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Thanks everyone. Sounds like I just need to put in a little time. I'll leave the staves outside and bring them in my shop one at a time to inspect and get to clean wood before stashing them with the rest of my stash. Lots of the staves are clean. Just noticed a couple signs of bugs on a couple staves. I don't want to be careless and taint my staves I already have. Got a awesome catch of Siberian elm, plum, osage, canyon maple, Domestic choke cherry and a random elm that is much lighter than Siberian and has bark that looks like Chinese elm.
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Putting a stave in a freezer is supposed to work , 2 weeks was recommended
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I use to try all kinds of spray ,sometimes worked and sometimes didn't so now I just debark and seal it all before I put it away, a lot of work at times but nothing worse than go to you pile and find it full of holes. That is the only sure way I know of no matter the wood type.
Pappy
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Chuck, I recently sprayed some of my staves with bora-care. It’s expensive stuff but it is advertised to stop insect attacks on wood and seems to be good stuff.
Enjoy,
Taylor
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Thanks again everyone. Had the staves outside laying against the wall. It’s been getting down to 10f at night. Brought some of the staves to check and debarked. Some were easy to get below the damage. Some staves became billets. Still working these. I will say the larva in the elm after being in 20 below temps for a few days seemed very comfortable when I reached their burrows.
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Borax their little butts! >:D (lol). Chlorox may work, too!
Hawkdancer
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I’ve lost two big batches of staves over failure to prepare for/fully eradicate borers. I don’t even mess with guessing or spraying anymore. Nowadays I strip the bark off all white woods, and the bark and sapwood off osage, red elm, mulberry and locust. Preferably while green, but same goes for seasoned staves. I don’t store anything with bugs in it with the rest of my staves until they’re fully processed and the holes have been chased out. It’s amazing how deep they can go once they decide to move inward.
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Osage, elm, locust and mesquite seem to be the woods most affected from what I have seen. And of course the little juniper bark beetles. I’m going to forget about the quick bug spray question. It does not take that long to get the bark off and drawknife out every tunnel till you have clean wood.