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Author Topic: splitting staves  (Read 5078 times)

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Offline swiftjustus

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splitting staves
« on: February 17, 2012, 04:37:17 pm »
Every time i harvest some trees for bow wood, they always seem to twist when i split them, is there some kind of trick to this. I've tried thin wedges and hatchets, starting at the base, and at the top but i always wind up with only 1 or 2 that maya actually bebow worthy. Please help.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2012, 04:39:31 pm »
The twist is probably in the tree.  No matter how you split it, it will twist.  When you are looking for trees to cut, pay close attention to the bark.  If it twists around the tree as you look up, the wood inside is probably twisted.  Sometimes the bark can be straight and the wood will still twist inside. 
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2012, 04:45:01 pm »
Some you win, some you loose. I reckon that upto 45 degrees of twist is manageble.
Problem is, you can saw it instead, but that's just hiding the problem and it will come and bite you on the butt later, forewarned is forearmed.
It's not quite so bad on an ELB, I think wide flat bows suffer more if the wood is twisted.
You can sometimes lay the bow out on the diagonal and get away with it.
A twisted stave is still better than no stave.
Del
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2012, 05:09:28 pm »
Besides reading bark I suggest always splitting from the skinny end of the log or 1/4 log.
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Offline Slackbunny

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2012, 06:19:40 pm »
What if you force the stave into a form while its still green, and leave it there until it dries?
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2012, 07:10:56 pm »
I have VERY few flat, straight staves. All of them get heated up and untwisted after they are dry. Thats just my way of doing it. I prefer dry heat and dry wood over wet wood and steam all day.
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Offline richardzane

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2012, 10:12:26 pm »
Quote from: Slackbunny on February 17, 2012, 06:19:40 pm
What if you force the stave into a form while its still green, and leave it there until it dries?

someone from here gave me that idea last year when i asked about persimmon as a bow wood.
so i've roughed out two persimmon bow staves, their ends bolted down against a 2x8 . just gonna leave them that way
for another year...
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Offline TRACY

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Re: splitting staves
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2012, 10:23:06 pm »
Leave your staves wider and split them to bow widths later after it has sufficiently dried. Downside is that it will take longer to dry, but with less degree of warp/twist. I will clamp bow size stave into a form while its green and allow it to dry to induce reflex. Just some ideas that have worked for me with a variety of tree species. Good luck

Tracy
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