Issue with Red Oak

[NTProf]

Has anyone else had a problem with Red Oak boards in very dry climates. I just broake my third red oak board bow since moving here to Colorado. I made a couple dozen red oak board bows in Mass. and only had one break (because of a pin knot). But the last three I have made since this last summer have broken after about 100 shots. (Im am very selective about the boards I get, and my tillering is better than it was in Mass.).I am wondering if it is too dry for red oak here, or if the wood is just too dry when I buy it, or I just got unlucky and got bad wood all three times. Any one else notice RO is more brittle in very dry climates? Any suggestions for wood to use in dry climates such as here in CO?

[Newindian]

Hickory likes it dry, and of course the king

[BOWMAN53]

Take the bow in the bathroom with you when you take a hot shower lol idk if thatll help but it sounds like a good idea. Once a month might help, but i dont really know what im talking about.

[George Tsoukalas]

I just looked up Denver's humidity and it is 53%. In my town in NH humidity is 45%. Something else is going on. Best to you and your family, NT. Regards. Jawge

[lostarrow]

Humidity might be 53% but it might be RH of 15% or less in a heated house . Worse if you have a heat exchanger. Also ,that might be the reading for today but for the past couple of months you were likely much lower. The colder it is , the lower the RH. Get a hygrometer and keep it where you keep your bows. Oiling the back seems to help as you tiller. Just make sure it will be compatable with your chosen finish.

[toomanyknots]

I have found red oak to be a bit brittle sometimes. The denser it is, the better it holds together in my experience. I have found white oak to be very brittle sometimes too, and again I have to blame the kiln drying, as I hear it is great in tension.

[JackCrafty]

Probably bad wood.  Some oak boards are dried way too fast.  Pick only the heaviest boards and then let the wood sit in your shop for a while to adjust to the weather.

I live in a VERY dry climate and I've had good luck with red oak.

[NTProf]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes, the last day or two the humidity has been higher, but for the last month it has been extremely dry, and we do have a pellet stove in our basement where I store my bows.

[NTProf]

Thanks, Jawge. Good to hear from you, and I am still making (and apparently breaking) bows!

[DarkSoul]

You can't blame those broken bows on low moisture content of the wood until you inconclusively determine the wood MC is indeed too low. You just have to get a humidity meter (costs only a few bucks) and place it in the room where you store your bows in. Monitor the RH in that room for a few subsequent days, at various time points. Only then you can find out what the RH is, so what the EMC of the wood is.

If it turns out to be a problem with the wood being too dry, find a way to increase the moisture content of the wood. Nothing wrong with kiln dried wood by itself, as long as you treat it right.

[bow101]

Has anyone else had a problem with Red Oak boards in very dry climates. I just broake my third red oak board bow since moving here to Colorado. I made a couple dozen red oak board bows in Mass. and only had one break (because of a pin knot). But the last three I have made since this last summer have broken after about 100 shots. (Im am very selective about the boards I get, and my tillering is better than it was in Mass.).I am wondering if it is too dry for red oak here, or if the wood is just too dry when I buy it, or I just got unlucky and got bad wood all three times. Any one else notice RO is more brittle in very dry climates? Any suggestions for wood to use in dry climates such as here in CO?

Have broke a few Red Oak boards, My take on it.:: Basically I have given up and I go out in the bush and cut myself some small trees, It's FRee..Free...free...free.. Get fed up of breaking boards that cost anywhere from 10-$15.00....!! Heck I could be buying tools and supplies with that money. On the other hand if you live in the city and don't have access to the bush, then boards are your best bet.

P.S. Try a Maple board.

[George Tsoukalas]

Trust me. My house is dry. LOL. Jawge