Author Topic: Seasoning wood  (Read 16577 times)

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Offline Aussie Yeoman

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Re: Seasoning wood
« Reply #60 on: November 05, 2013, 01:19:15 am »
http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/581/1/adt-NU20041011.13343802chapter1.pdf

As an aside I'd just like to mention for the benefit of Australian bowyers out there that Blackbutt can be made into a bow. Not terribly pretty to look at. It's a bit bland actually, but if it's all you can get, then it'll make a fair enough shooter.

I think a fair experiment would be to make some bows of different types of wood that has been kiln dried or whatever, and carefully measure things like MC. Then every year re-measure the same quantities to see what happens. You'd probably do well to make several bows from each timber and store them in the same conditions.
Articles for the beginning bowyer, with Australian bowyers in mind:

http://www.tharwavalleyforge.com/articles/tutorials

Offline George Tsoukalas

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    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: Seasoning wood
« Reply #61 on: November 05, 2013, 09:40:17 am »
Red oak is a whitewood. I leave the sapwood on and there  is a lot of it.
In boards there is a mix of sapwood and heartwood.
I only mentioned red oak because I have made bows from logs and boards from that species.
Have fun. Make bows while you can.
Someone younger than I can force dry and season 2 staves preferably sister staves and see what is up with that regarding this issue.
Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Badger

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Re: Seasoning wood
« Reply #62 on: November 05, 2013, 10:51:56 am »
  I don't think kiln drying or force drying hurts wood at all I do it all the time and have for years. I was never a believer in seasoning until very recently when I started pulling old seasoned bows out of stock for reevaluation and a little rework. I really don't notice any difference on the white woods as much as I do osage and yew but I don't have very many white wood bows I have kept all that long to compare.  A well seasoned bow seems to have a lot of the characteristics a heat treated bow has. I know its not all about moisture, my wood stablizes at about 8% where I am at.

Offline adb

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Re: Seasoning wood
« Reply #63 on: November 05, 2013, 11:19:59 am »
In the last 10 years of bow making, at any time I tried to force anything, the results were always less than I had hoped.

mikekeswick

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Re: Seasoning wood
« Reply #64 on: November 05, 2013, 02:25:27 pm »
.
Do what makes ya happy. You will likely make better bows from woods that you have confidence in.
Jawge

I could not agree more.   :)
Wise words