Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loosenock on May 18, 2008, 06:31:38 pm
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(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/loosenock/mulstave.jpg)
This stave was made from a 1/4 round Mulberry log using draw knife and spoke shave. I was told it was cut in January. It weighs about 1/6th what it used too. It had a slight propeller twist to it. After hewing the rough stave I clamped it down in the "vee" of an 1 1/2" angle iron and let it dry out for a couple of weeks. It is now nice and straight with no twist. I clamped it back onto the angle iron flat side with about 1/2" of back set. I plan on letting dry out during the Colorado summer. I don't have a moisture meter but was wondering about how long I should let this cure or dry? Anyone have any thoughts on how long to cure? Colorado is not known for its humidity.
Joe
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I think I read that you can figure 1 inch per year........2 inches of wood would take a year. 1 inch in from outside to center. Or 4 inches of wood would take 2 years.
Will wait also for further thoughts!!! ;)
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yup. 1 inch-per-year for a stave. Reduce it to bow dimensions, give it a little bit of floor tillering, and it should be dry in a month or so.
I had a red mulberry stave that I cut it down to a bow blank (no floor tillering). Limbs were 3/4 thick. I clamped it to a 4X6 and let it dry for about four months. It made a real good bow.
I think the smaller a piece of wood gets, the drying rate increasing exponentially.
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I would keep weighing it. As soon as it stops loosing weight for a week straight it should be good.
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As a stave, there is too much wood there to register any minute weight lose. If you want to weight it, get a 5# or a 2# scale that weighs things in ounces. Reduce the stave to a bow blank, and then weight it. As the bow dries, the weight loss will show up on that scale. As it dries though, it may stay at a certain weight for a few days, and then start losing wight again. When the stave has lost no weight for 1/3 of the time it's been drying, then it's dry.