Wood Moisture content

[JoJoDapyro]

Has anyone else had issues with "Seasoned" wood twisting when getting it to a dryer climate than where it came from?

I have only obtained wood from out of state one time, and of the 4 staves, 3 twisted. Strangely, it took about a month for it t happen, and it has even been more humid here than most summers. If this is normal, how do you keep it from happening?

[J05H]

IMHO it's probably normal. When wood comes to your area from a more humid part of the country, even if its reached equilibrium moisture content and been there for years, its going to have to dry out quite a bit to re-normalize to your RH levels. And any time wood dries, there is the possibility for problems.

I'd say you could combat warpage by strapping your staves to a 2x4 or something when you receive them, and if possible keep them in a slightly more humid place for a while to kind of slow down the process.

[Pat B]

Wood will find equilibrium as far as moisture goes so if it travels from dry to wet or vice versa it needs time to equalize. Even from one season to another can cause these problems.  Taking a stave down to near bow size and strapping it to a form to season can help with this or just use a heat gun later to make adjustments. 
 Where the wood comes off the tree can cause these problems too. If the stave is reaction wood no telling what it will do.

[mwosborn]

Hey Pat - can you elaborate on "reaction wood"?  I have never heard this term before.  Would it be sapwood?  The wood nearest the cambium? Thanks.

[CustomArcher15]

Reaction wood is like a tree that was leaning. The compressed and stretched areas wood be considered reaction wood to as far as my knowledge goes. When you split the tree the deflexed part of the tree will reflex and the reflexed half will deflex because the cells were stretched/smashed and are returning back to regular size.

[JoJoDapyro]

OK, To go a step further. Is there reason to use steam in a more dry area vs. just a heat gun? It is super dry here. The Osage I am currently working on has twist in the end of one of the limbs. Do you think I am better off using a concentrated steam method (wet cloth and heat gun) than just dry heat? My house also has central air, so it is even dryer inside than out. I'll put a humidifier in my attic when I get it set up as my shop. I am also looking to get a hotplate and make a little portable steamer in the future.

[Eric Krewson]

Think of a bent tree like a bow, the belly will deflex(compression wood) when cut free, the back will reflex(tension wood) and the sides will dogleg(reaction wood).

[bradsmith2010]

roughing it out and clamping it in place,,, or clamp the whole stave as suggested,, and I would say its  normal depending on the humidity it comes from,, and the humidity its going to,,,

[Pat B]

The rule of thumb for heat correcting bows is dry heat for dry wood and wet heat(steam, boil) for wet wood but there are always exceptions.
 Osage manipulates very well with dry heat however if you are going to make radical bends like recurves you might be better with steam or boiling. I think I'd seal the area to be steamed with shellac if the wood is dry to prevent checking.

[E. Jensen]

Just add on to what already been said about compression wood, yes its wood that a tree forms to correct itself if leaning.  Softwoods form compression wood only, on the underside.  Hardwoods form tensionwood only, on the top. 

I got myself a compression pine sapling.  Only problem is I wasn't sure if the compressionwood is supposed to be the back or the belly.  I figured the belly.  But that also means that my bow is now super duper reflexed.  Not something I want on pine.  I roughed it out and clamped it flat so hopefully it stays straight when dry.

[George Tsoukalas]

Pine makes good arrows. Not so good for bows.
Seasoned wood may not be dry enough to be a bow.
Jawge

[E. Jensen]

Nope.  But we'll see what we can do with it