Red Elm Question

[coaster500]

I have some Red Elm that only has about three months drying time.

Question ....  is it possible to work the stave down to bow dimensions to help with the drying time or should I just let it dry for another year or so?

[Joec123able]

Yea you could do that but you don't wanna take it down to close or you will risk having the wood either warp or check on you and have even more problems Down the road

[sleek]

Get it floor bending the stop for another 3 or so months.

[crooketarrow]

   You can take it dow to floor tiller but seal the whole bow or if it's to wet it will have drying checks. It's best to let it season a year on its own 2 better. Like all woods if sealed,sprayed (where need be) and stored flat or standing straight up out of the whether. Even white woods will last. I have osage as well as elm,hickory over 20 years old. As well as perrsimmen ,follower dog wood a dozzen years old.

[Dvshunter]

Kip the snakey bow I made from elm was cut the first or so of December. I roughed it out a little a week and kept it in the hotbox around 70-80 degrees with a fan blowing on it. It kicked and bucked all over while it dried and that's how I got the reflex and also the snake in it. I sealed the back only and just checked on it everyday for checks. It dried out quickly, but it will warp. You might be able to strap it down to something to keep it from moving to much but I would say its going to move. It's not like you can't heat it back to straight when its done though. Get cracking if you ask me. This stuff grows on tress after all.

[coaster500]

Dave that bow is what made me want to try Elm.... Killer bow!!! ...  I've got quite a bit of it so I might experiment with one.

Thanks guys for the advise............

[Slackbunny]

If its already been drying for three months then I would say you are probably safe to get it done to near net shape, but I've never worked with Red Elm, so I don't know how bad it likes to warp.

I am impatient and would probably take it down, but leaving it be is definitely the safer route.

[coaster500]

Roughed out the green stave today and clamped on one of the rafters in my shop. The back and ends are sealed so we will see if it cracks without sealing the whole thing. The rafter should keep it from warping and twisting....  I don't have a moisture meter so I'm not sure how long this will take???