I cut some guava weeks ago. Progress so far.

[Msturm]

I went up the mountain a couple weeks ago to grab some potential bow wood.  I got three guavas about 3 inches in diameter and one closer to five inches in diameter.
Here is most of what I came down from the mountain with. They are heavier than they look...
 

I got to peeling ( I bought a draw knife at a garage sale, makes a world of difference.) My lanai is pretty small but it is enough room if I am careful.
 
 

After a bit of work with a machete I have three staves roughed out and sealed stacked in my bedroom for drying.

 
 

This will be my first go at building stave bow from scratch. Really looking forward to it!  See you guys again in about six months hopefully!

The last picture is my favorite. It has this strange dark wood that seems really hard running down it's center. Anyone know what this is?
 

Mahalo Nui Loa!

[PatM]

Heartwood.

[bowandarrow473]

Looks great! You don't  actually have to wait six months, as long as the belly is unsealed you could be dry in 2 or three with it at rough bow dimensions.

[bubby]

I'd clamp them to a board to keep twisting and wild reflex to a minimum

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

No need to seal Guava, it doesn't check.

I rather wait a minimum of 8 months before start working on them, ( I was belly tempering a bow yesterday that was sitting for a good 6-7 years and I still had some moisture beads coming out )

 I would toast the staves with a heat gun, concentrating on the bark also to kill all possible larvae, I lost plenty staves to worms.

That is not Hearwood, I had plenty staves with those streaks in them, they look great on a finished bow if you don't lose them as you take wood off

[Msturm]

Awesome. Thanks everyone.

Nomadic Pirate,You seem to be the guava bow expert-I have looked at a lot of your previous posts- Thanks for chiming in!

  I was told that after a couple weeks I could put them in my car, I live in Makaha so a hot car is pretty hot, would that speed up the drying process? If I don't need to worry about checking can I just keep them in the sun, or in the car for a couple months. It's gotta be pretty close to a hotbox.

I already stripped them. Do you normally leave the bark on for drying?

I will probably get another load in a couple weeks.

Thanks again folks!

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

If the bark peels off than I take it if not I just leave it and a lot comes off when tillering,

You can put them in the sun and in the hot car, no problem either way, good thing you live on the westside is more dry there than here on the NorthShore.

I gotta come that way and go hunt Makua-Kehau one of these days 

[Msturm]

Nomadic Pirate- Thats my stomping grounds!  Let me know! I go a couple times a week during bow season until the freezer is full.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Yeah, love that Valley.

Been many years since I've been there.