Humidity

[Don Case]

How do you deal with high humidity? From what I've read drier is better(to a point). What do you do when you're tillering a bow and the humidity is up and down like a toilet seat? Do us high R/H people just have to deal with less than optimal bows? When a trade bow is shipped from the Oregon coast to Arizona does it's draw weight go up? Any comments about R/H would be appreciated. We seem to have had the most humid summer I can remember and it's made me wonder about the consequences.
Don

[BowEd]

Don I keep all my bows at 45 to 55 percent humidity with a dehumidifier in that room they're stored in.I don't have central air but I do have an air conditioner but did'nt use it this summer.Bottom line I keep a analog humidity meter by my bows to know what's going on.I think most any bow wood will function good and safely at these humidity readings.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I keep any bows Im working on upstairs in the AC. Any staves or billets Im considering in the near future stay under our bed until Im ready to start. It takes a bit of time for humidity changes to matter. If the blank is dry and you go outside and work it for 2-3 hours in 70% humidity, the change wont catch up by the time your done and have it back inside. I keep bows Im working on on top of of a register so coo, dry air is always flowing over it. It seems to work for me.

[adb]

I struggle with low humidity, especially in the winter months. RH can be as low as 10-15%. As a result, I don't make bows from Dec to March. My wood seems to take a big deep breath in the spring, when the RH comes back up.

[Dances with squirrels]

I keep a dehumidifier in my shop set to keep it around 50-55%. Water runs right down the floor drain, and I have a hygrometer on the wall for reference.

It's nice to have ALL of my bow wood moisture regulated, and I seldom mess with my drying box now.

[twisted hickory]

I have a window air conditioner but when it is really humid here in NW penn there isn't much I can do. House will get around 75percent in the summer with a few dry days in the mid 50 percent to mid 60 percent. I made a few bows last winter when humidity was in 30 percent range and in the summer they became noodles (they were fast this winter) I have built 4 this summer and cast is down a bit but at least the bows don't lose 8 lbs of draw weight due to humitidy changes cause they were tillered when humidity was high. If I get the feeling the bow is just too wet I put in in truck w windows up for 3 or 4 days.  I just finished tillering a couple of hickory bows and despite the humidity one only took 1 inch of set the other less but I havent' shot it much yet.
Heat treating seems to help as well if done early before bow takes set and after tiller is done just before final tiller.
Greg

[crooketarrow]

  Here in WV hummity gets perry high at times.
   I do a couple things.
  Keep them inside work at night or first thing in the morning.
  And white woods (exspecially hickory) I'll put it in the hot box for 20 mins. before I bend the limbs. This gets rid of the relitive hummity the wood dose pick up.
  The hot box I started doing about 11,12 years ago it's just a safty messure. I've built plenty of white wood bows by just keeping it in the air condisher. But I think the hot box saves on set and string follow. It's never had any negitive affects I can see. You don't want to leave it so long it gets brittle. But 15,20 mins sure dos'nt hunt it.