Author Topic: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.  (Read 23307 times)

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Offline Keenan

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #75 on: February 12, 2013, 04:22:10 pm »
Gordon, I'm working on it as we speak. A few that I have in the corner are getting older by the day! and I may not get to them this year as well :o

Carson and Iconicmuffin; Liked your input. Great way to look at it. 

Additional proof is some wood that I got off a building dismantle. I had the salvage rights and made a barn out of some of the 50 year old timbers and 2x12s  They were all old growth rough sawn Doug fir over fifty years old.  The wood was in excellent shape because no excess moisture had got to the rafters  for the whole time.  We all know Doug fir is fairly soft and even if kiln dried it is easy to drive a nail through.  This stuff was so hard when we built our barn that you would think you were driving the nail in concrete. It would even break screws occasionally.  The wood after fifty years "seasoning" was not inferior, and did not want to split out when nailed,yet had become very hard.

Another line of thought: If it is real old wood, Can you rehydrate and regain the same elasticity as before?  And if so what does it say on the molecular level

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #76 on: February 12, 2013, 04:24:30 pm »
Well, if anyone has some nicely seasoned yew or osage to spare, I would be happy to put this theory to the test  >:D

I typed all that crazy stuff up before I saw your post Gordon.  Hope it didn't come across as a directed response to your post.  So about your inquiry....

I have some osage billets aged 20 years..they now have your name on them. 


"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Maxspin

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #77 on: February 12, 2013, 04:28:58 pm »
A method that seems to work well is drop the stave on end a few inches off the concrete. You will notice a definite tone when well seasoned or dried, chose your own word.  Try your own stave pile and you will hear the differences in the staves. You will even see the difference in the bounce.

All my staves made more of a splat. :-\ It will be a long long time before I have any aged staves :(

Offline Keenan

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #78 on: February 12, 2013, 04:29:49 pm »
Hurry up Gordon. Inquiring minds want to know. Getting more popcorn :o >:D

A method that seems to work well is drop the stave on end a few inches off the concrete. You will notice a definite tone when well seasoned or dried, chose your own word.  Try your own stave pile and you will hear the differences in the staves. You will even see the difference in the bounce.

All my staves made more of a splat. :-\ It will be a long long time before I have any aged staves :(

Now that was funny!

Offline Roy

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #79 on: February 12, 2013, 04:42:30 pm »
I gotta quit making Osage Bows. 

I'm going over to Home Depot for some pvc pipe, I hear ya can make a bow from that stuff....  >:D :)

Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #80 on: February 12, 2013, 04:54:47 pm »
aye Roy, you can, its not hard. but its some iffy stuff if you aren't careful how you tiller it. it makes a good bow, but in comparison to wood there is none  ;D nah but fishing and small game hunting is probably fine with them.
Amo innectis arcus- I love crafting bows (latin)

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #81 on: February 12, 2013, 04:55:39 pm »
Be sure its well seasoned Roybert, very important with plastic bows.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Roy

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #82 on: February 12, 2013, 04:57:35 pm »
Thanks, do they sell Osage grain stain that will stick to it?:) I want it looken like ah real wood bow ya know? LOL

Ok Pearly, I'll give the whole pile the Keenan drop on concrete test to listen for the higher ring. Ya think security will kick my ass out of the store? 8)

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #83 on: February 12, 2013, 05:06:07 pm »
Nah, just tell 'em what your doing!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #84 on: February 12, 2013, 05:13:52 pm »
Well, if anyone has some nicely seasoned yew or osage to spare, I would be happy to put this theory to the test  >:D

I typed all that crazy stuff up before I saw your post Gordon.  Hope it didn't come across as a directed response to your post.  So about your inquiry....

I have some osage billets aged 20 years..they now have your name on them. 




Hah, that is awesome.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Bryce

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #85 on: February 12, 2013, 05:20:58 pm »
Gordon you lucky dog!
Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #86 on: February 12, 2013, 05:30:25 pm »
Got anything with my name on it Carson ol' buddy? WOW your lucky Gordon, I know you will make a fantastic bow with those billets.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Gordon

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #87 on: February 12, 2013, 05:32:15 pm »
Hey Carson thank you! I'm beginning to think that maybe long seasoned wood is really better  ;D
Gordon

akswift

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #88 on: February 12, 2013, 05:47:49 pm »
Pat B asked-

"What about seasoned wet wood? "
I seem to recall reading some instances where wood is stored or seasoned underwater, some times for hundred of years. Can the seasoning effect we are discussing here take place independently of drying?

1. As Gordon stated, even in dry conditions, wood deteriorates................. slowly with age.
2. Many agree that  seasoning improves wood and that it happens...........slowly with age.
3. Is it a reasonable conclusion that it must be the age? Might be two different things happening here at cross purposes.
If scotch and water makes you drunk, and Bourbon and water makes you drunk, then   
 maybe a nice double of water .............

Many good observations and speculations on this thread. We don't have to "know" how seasoning works to make good use of it.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: The difference between drying wood and seasoning it.
« Reply #89 on: February 12, 2013, 05:55:23 pm »
Gun Doc, I made my first osage bow in 2000. I just made a bow a few years ago from well aged osage...around 10 years.  I see no difference between that one and the other bows I've made from osage. It's ok; you are allowed to have a personal preference. I just don't have any for dried or seasoned.
Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!