Newb mistake, might as well ask the experts.

[lenador]

Hello all, I've been a member for some time even though I don't post much. I've had interest in building my own bow for a while but being a newb I waited until yesterday to harvest my Osage even though hunting season is just around the corner.
  I've made two mistakes.
 1. I've overlooked the time and patience it takes to season a stave.
 2. I harvested a piece that is rather short for bow making.
 
So my questions to the experts are....
 1. Where can I find a pre seasoned stave.
 2. Would a 45" stave make a nice hunting D bow?

I've also learned that long straight Osage trees are not so common and the one I've found has multiple very nice straight trunks. I'm planning on returning and harvesting the rest of the tree for many bows in the future that I can learn the craft with. The thick thorny Osage made it hard work to make sure my piece was large enough.

[lenador]

I guess I miss worded my question after reading it. Rather than "Is there" any where to get pre seasoned staves, "where should" I get ore seasoned staves. Meaning what are some of the more trusted fair places I could look.

[NeolithicMan]

Post in the trading post section that you are lookin for seasoned staves. If you have items you think people will want, mention them an someone is bound to help you out. Keep in mind that to ship something like that, it costs a good amount in shipping. Welcome to the forum

[lenador]

Thanks for the tip!

[bradsmith2010]

you can make a hunting bow from a 45 inch stave,,, your draw will need to be bout 20 to 22 inches(maybe longer with sinew back and this is debatable),, I would recommend sinew backing at that length,,, shooting the short bows takes some practice, and I feel like they are best at close range for deer 10 to 15 yards,,, they can have excellent cast if made to hold some reflex,,,

[George Tsoukalas]

There's always board bows. If you are interested, I can elaborate.
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html
Jawge

[lenador]

Hmmm, it seems maybe I should just try to start with a bigger piece. I have the access to it and I would hate to wait and season it just to have it not be what I wanted or needed.
 I know it sounds a little strange but I'm kinda weird in the sense that the idea of harvesting something my self from nature and using it to kill something and feed myself and my family is a huge appeal to me. Butnifni can't find something else I suppose a store bought piece will have to do.

[JW_Halverson]

I know it sounds a little strange but I'm kinda weird in the sense that the idea of harvesting something my self from nature and using it to kill something and feed myself and my family is a huge appeal to me.

Yup, he's been bit by the bug.  Not only is he infected, but he is probably a carrier as well.

[TimBo]

There is so much that goes into making a complete archery system...my goal is to do it all one day, including the string, knapped point, glue, etc., all harvested and made by me.  But I have to accept that it may be a while until that happens...right now I am happy with making the bow, trade points, arrows from boards/dowels, splitting turkey feathers, and string from D97...oh, and I did make my braintan buckskin quiver.  So, what I am trying to say is that there is no shame in liberating a bow from its board form for this year.  You will have fun learning about bowmaking as you go.

Or...you could try to make a sapling or limb bow; they are much quicker to cure.  An elm or hop hornbeam sapling bow is on my to-make list.

[Hrothgar]

If you are planning to let your stave season for a year or two you might consider splitting it and making billets for a longer bow, if that is possible. In the mean time try to run down a seasoned stave, there tends to be a lot of hickory available.

[lenador]

This is all great info. I'm going to look into dappling bows. And I agree...getting the full process of bow making and primitive tool making going isn't a instant process so I shouldn't have shame in a board bow.

[lenador]

Okay well after yourguys help and a little more research I'm going to use the short piece I harvested to make billets. And harvest some longer pieces and get them seasoning.

 Now I have more questions because I can't seem to find a decent answer. It seems like generally there is a little debate about the best way to season the stave and to me it seems like splitting it and sealing it makes the most sense. What I can't seem to figure is 1st....what is the "back" of the bow? Is this the split surface or bark surface? There is much talk about the care for this area but I can't seem to find the answer as to where its at. Secondly I've heard the term chasing a ring....I have no clue what that is either Haha. And my last question is what parts of the stave get sealed? From what I've read some say the ends and others do the ends and a side?

Sorry for all the new questions but I'm not one to go willy nilly and mess things up. I like KNOW for sure and be confident in my work. Any help is much appreciated.

[JoJoDapyro]

You can find all the answers to your questions here. Keep reading, try the build along section. I was a complete novice a few months back too.

[bushboy]

Think of a bow anatomy as a human,our backs bend just like a bow.if you touch your toes you can feel tension on your back and compression on your belly!lol!generally with wood like hickory or elm the bark is removed and that is the back.with wood like osage the sap wood is removed because it is tension poor, but the heartwood is exceptional.chasing a ring is achieved by obtaining one continuous growth ring without going to deep as to cut into the next one

[bushboy]

My phone jammed up so I will finish my thought.chasing a ring is like peeling an onion, removing one layer but to be careful as to not cut through that layer.i think sealing the ends is a must and some seal the back with shellac or something but the belly is left untreated as to let moisture escape.