Reducing moisture in a hickory stave

[Lee Lobbestael]

Ok I have a floor tillered hickory stave that I have dried in my attic for a few months. I want to finish the bow but I think the moisture content may still be a little high and I don't have moisture meter to check it. I have access to a big tall oven at work but can only use it over night. Will one night of baking it bring the moisture content down to the right level? If so what temp should I bake it at?

[mikekeswick]

Now that it's fairly dry air flow will really help.
I'd go for a nice low temp if using the oven and do it slowly over two nights rather than trying to rush it in one.
Being hickory it can stand lower mc than most.

[PeteC]

Lee ,do you have access to an accurate scale. I weigh mine .After the stave has lost no weight for a week,and providing it has been kept in a place which is conducive to drying,I start the tillering process. God bless

[Lee Lobbestael]

unfortunately I don't have a scale that accurate! Just a bathroom scale. Mike, what is a low temp. like around 100F?

[osage outlaw]

Walmart sells a digital kitchen scale for $15 that works great for weighing roughed out bows.  It seems to be very accurate.  I weighed a piece of hickory every few days this summer and was able to track it's progress.  Putting it in a hot car dried it the fastest.  It would increase in weight after a couple of days of rain even though it was stored in my workshop.

[JW_Halverson]

I'll have to go get one of those scales, OO!  I had a cheapo moisture meter, but it seems to have taken the proverbial dump. $15 is certainly cheaper than the hundred plus for a decent moisture meter!

Ash is just as bad as hickory for inhaling moisture out of the atmosphere and I am about to start on an ash bow.  Plus I can use it to weight the food for the raptors, too!  If it's in my house it better have several uses!

[johnston]

LL hic that is too low in MC will blow up.

Lane

[Lee Lobbestael]

Where can you get a cheaper moisture meter?

[mikekeswick]

Forget the moisture meter - unless you spend a fourtune it won't be accurate. Best bet is a humidity meter with a temperature reading on it. You can get them really cheap with a bit of searching. There is a table in TBB (can't remember which vol?) with temperature and humidity it will tell you the moisture level your wood will reach. Humidity levels where you store your wood are what you need to know.

[Pappy]

I just keep mine over an AC/Heater duct in the house when I get it to about bow dimensions, I have a meter but never use it. :)You can tell when it's to wet just by the way it works and if it starts to take set. I will tiller Hickory in 3 or 4 sessions
just for that reason. Slow and easy with drying time in between.
   Pappy

[crooketarrow]

  I do this to all white wood bows exspecially HICKORY. As soon as I get to bending the limbs. I'll put it in the hot box for and hour the first time after that each time I work on the tiller I'll but it in the hot bow for 20 mins. to 1/2 hour. My box has 3 40 watt light bulbs.
   I start out by adding 2 to 3 inchs of reflex while green. And can uselly keep a little reflex. Here's a tip people don't do. I'll but it in the hot box for 1/2 hour before I finish it. Each time it's but in the hot box your getting rid of relitive hummity. Hickorys will suck it up over night.
    Don't leave it in or around heat for long periods of time because it will make it brittle. HICKORYS my favoret bow wood. I've made lots of HICKORY BOWS and have always did this. It dose help with set and string follow.

[George Tsoukalas]

I use a moisture meter all the time. I keep checking the reading right down to stringing up the stave. Relative  humidity meters work well for measuring relative humidity. Moisture meters work great for measuring mc of wood. Keep in mind the difference between 10 and 12% is 2 in of set. Hickory works well at 6-8%. I do what Pat does but I only make bows in the winter these days.  paid $80 for one about 15 years ago. Use it all the time. Dad taught me to buy good tools to do the things I like to do. Good luck with your relative humidity meters. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

I have the mini Ligno and it is about $130 now. But like I said... Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

If buying  a decent meter is out of the question leave it by heat duct or register for a few weeks. Should be ok. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Osage Outlaw, has an excellent suggestion. Keep checking weight and when it is unchanged for 3 days you are good to go. Jawge