stave moisture

[Dave 55]

Guys I have kind of a dumb question but figured I would ask it anyway.When the stave gets stableized at room humidity can you rough the bow out and put it in the dryer or should the moisture be droped in the whole stave before you mess with it , thanks Dave 

[mitchman]

i just started a new bow i cut the tree down, split it the next day, roughed it three days later and let it dry for a week then brought it to final shape. its now dry enough to work on and i am starting tillering it now.   so yes you can.

[adb]

The closer you get the stave to final dimensions, the faster it'll dry. Careful you don't dry it too fast, it will check. I usually split my staves, seal the ends, and let them season with bark on (except osage) for about 6 months. Most of my staves are about 2" wide, and about 2" thick. If you use a hot box, you can get that down to about a month. 8-10% moisture content is perfect.

[Dave 55]

Thanks for the reply I appreciate it,Dave.

[Justin Snyder]

If it has dried a little I would rough it out.

[George Tsoukalas]

You can rough it out now and even begin floor tillering to the point where the limbs are  barely bending. Then you an dry it. Jawge