Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bloodhound on May 29, 2013, 12:00:40 am
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I cut a maple at my cabin in NW WI this weekend and once split it produced 4 nice staves all with a fair amount of twist. I roughed out 2 of them today and decided to try straightening them before they are dry. The idea is to clamp them to a 2x4 with some home made clamps from 2x2s and bolts (5 per stave) and leave the clamped for a year until dry.
I am new to using staves and the ones I cut last summer have been a pain to straighten after drying so I thought this might work well.
Anyone else do this and have any thoughts or insight?
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Steam may be easier
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As newindian said.Should be able to steam it in a month and clamp to a caul/ form for desired reflex and straightness. If it is twisted already due to poor growth form, you might be spinning your wheels. What kind of maple? Good luck!
Tracy
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CrookedArrow had a post about reflexing and straightening green staves a while back. I think he had them across two saw horses with weights hanging from the center. I've never tried it.
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I think its a sugar maple. The twist is not horrible and may be partly due to the way I split the log, I used an axe head as a wedge starting at the top and hammering it through till a full split. I got 4 beautiful staves except for the twist, when laying on a flat 2x4 when 1 tip is level on the board the other tip is rotated about 30-45 degrees.
I took 2 and roughed them out and they easily clamped flat. I was assuming that letting them dry like that would eliminate the twist. For the other two should I just let them dry as is and deal with the twist later?
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If you use steam to do your straightening/bending it will also help force some of the moisture out.
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If you want/need wood to work with sooner than later I'd reduce them down to near bow dimensions and steam correct them...the wood will be easier to work with tools now,and will more easily correct with steam being green...up to you
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Like others have said steam will work,but If you have the room the clamping will work also,I use to do that when I first started,just work down to bow shape and floor tiller lightly /be sure and seal the whole stave and clamp it down,if you put it in a warm dry place it won't take a year to dry,only a few months. I don't really have the room anymore and lot of stuff going on in my shop so I haven't done it in a while,when I use to do it ,it was only me and my stuff. ;) :)
Pappy