How does everyone seal their staves?

[osage outlaw]

I was just wondering how everyone goes about sealing staves, mainly osage staves.  Do you use polyurethane, shellac, glue?  How many coats on the ends and backs?   Do you seal the bellies?

[Del the cat]

Builders PVA glue/sealer two coats on the end overlapping half an inch or so up the stave ( + a bit on my fingers/floor/trousers)
I rarely seal the belly unless there are cracks visible which I want to stop growing.
Del

[lowell]

I use titebond on the ends, just 1 coat and  Ileave the bark on till they are dry and I want to do something with them.

[Gordon]

I use shellac on the back.

[Primitive1]

If I'm going out hunting new staves, I bring the largest PVA/Elmers glue bottle I can find at a reasonable price; coupled with the heaviest (and cheapest) aluminum foil I can find.  I fell the wood, split as required for transportation purposes, and then slop the glue on the ends (a couple of inches down at least from the ends) and then wrap the ends generously with the aluminum foil...it adds a bit more protection and keeps it a little more clean (glue goo going everywhere)..

[Buckeye Guy]

If your leaving the bark on glue the ends !
the glue helps hold the checks together
If your peeling the bark off shellac the back and ends !
If your peeling and reducing to near bow size shellac it all !!
you wiil need the shellac for the steaming any way
All are heavy coats!
Steam once for the major correction then dry heat to fine tune !
 Guy

[PEARL DRUMS]

I leave the bark on and seal the ends with Helmsman Spar.

[gstoneberg]

I've always done it like PD, leave the bark on and spray whatever I had on hand on the ends.  The borers are so bad down here that I'll have to amend that approach.

George

[osage outlaw]

I have been putting a couple of thick layers of polyurethane on the backs and about 4 layers on the ends.  I have started putting a thin coat on the belly of wide staves.  I would rather use Shellac, but cost is a factor.  I had to bite the bullet and buy a gallon of poly at regular price. 

[JW_Halverson]

Yeah, when you consider the tonnage of the staves you gotta deal with from that one poor tree....can you get a volume deal on the 55 gallon barrel?  By the time you have cut, split, toted, and barked all those staves you should be tough enouth to carry the 55 gallon barrel around just fine!

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't cut osage as there is none in NH but on BL I use polyacrylic to seal the ends and usually leave the bark on. Jawge

[DV IN MN]

NOT VERY WELL. Cut split and peeled some Osage this summer. Sealed with shellac but had left the sap wood on. Lots of splits. Peeled the sap wood off the past 2 weeks and re sealed with glue. Some of the cracks went into the heart wood some didn't. Won't start making bows with any until it seasons. I was really surprised how easily the bark slipped off and how wet it was under. Even after they dried in the basement for the past 2 months after peeling the sap wood off the change in weight was surprising.

[osage outlaw]

Yeah, when you consider the tonnage of the staves you gotta deal with from that one poor tree....can you get a volume deal on the 55 gallon barrel?  By the time you have cut, split, toted, and barked all those staves you should be tough enouth to carry the 55 gallon barrel around just fine!

I wish I could get a deal on a 5 gallon bucket.  I have spent $50 on polyurethane so far, and that's including the 3 cans at half price due to damage.

[dwardo]

I think a lot depends on the weather and the wood. I have cut, split, debarked immedately and dont nawt to the staves and had no trouble at all. I have cut split and debarked the same wood in the summer and had it all check, front back and ends!

Recently i have taken to splitting and leaving the bark on, leave for a few days/week, then splitting down more, then removing the outer bark and working down to bow shape, leave for a bit, then indoors, i think you all get where i am headin, just a matter of slowing the drying process over a period of time but reducing mass as quick as possible.

[Kitsu]

i split the staves, glue the ends with a thick coat of elmers wood glue, take the bark off and use tung oil or shellac on the back in 2 generous coats. then after they are ready, i cover them with weed barrier loosely to slowly stabilize them to their surroundings.