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Weight drop on bows due to moisture?

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Aksel:
I got quite a chock today. Last night I put a layer of home made pine pitch lacquer on a bow I havenīt used since summer. Itīs a yew bow which I then weighted at #48@27.
I put a string on it and it seemed surprisingly light when I pulled it so I got my bow scales out. It measured #35!!

I live in the Netherlands where winters are humid so I store my bows on the top (2nd) floor of my house where I assume it is drier then below. Only thing is my washing mashine and tumble drier are close by and I donīt ventilate as often due to insane gas prices here.... A bow dropping #12 in a 3 months seems alot but I assume it must be the damp winter combined with keeping them next to the tumble drier that caused it.   :fp :fp :fp

I obviously have to move the bows somewhere. I wonder if I should take the lacquer off or just move them and check if they return to weight before I remove any finish. Unfortunate I just put pine pitch lacquer on all my bows! :fp I donīt dare checking the other bows and I wonder what the draw weight of the #48 recurve I just finished will be in summer  ;D :fp I also assume they are not safe to shoot since moisture must have gone up a few %... 

Puh!!

At least I learned a couple of things. And a few layers of tung oil doesnīt stop bows from picking up moisture!

How do I find out which room is driest and most suitable to store my bows?

Pat B:
Do you have central heat in your house? If so place the bow(s) near one of the vents where the heat comes out. If the bows took on moisture with the finish on them they should also lose moisture with the finish on them.
 You can build a simple hot box to keep your bows from taking on moisture with foam board or even cardboard and incandescent light bulbs.

bradsmith2010:
yes the moisture from the drier,,,

Aksel:
Pat: Yes I do have central heating in the house but way too many bows to store near one went so thatīs why I wondered how to think in general about how to find the driest room. I live in an old house and because insane gas prices heating is off this winter in all rooms which weīre not using. Hot box could be an idea but not for long time storing of 30 bows plus. I suppose I can dry a few bows out at the time at a spot with warm air flow.

My issue with the finish is that the bows soaked up all this moisture treated with tung oil only, and yesterday I put all this lacquer on in one swoop on most of my bows without realising about the moisture problem, so in worst case I sealed all this moisture in.

I put one bow on some digital scales and will check it daily to see if itīs dropping physical weight.

bradsmith2010: yes most likely  :fp

Zugul:
from my very little understanding it's pretty much impossible to block completly the moisture exchange of a bow, no matter what kind of seal you apply. In worse case scenario it will take a long time to lower its moisture content, but if you put it in a dry enough place over time the moisture will drop.

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