Drying time for osage down to bow dimensions?

[cool_98_555]

Hello everyone,

I have a stave that was cut in March of this year.  After it was cut, bark and sapwood were removed and it was sealed properly.  It's July now, so it's been seasoning for a good 3 months.  A week ago I took it down to near-bow dimensions:  1" thick limbs, 1.25" wide, and 69" long.  It will be taken to a 29" draw.  Any particular estimate on when I might be expecting it to be dry enough to start tillering?  I have read many posts that recommend a year of drying time with a stave, but they don't mention that they have taken it down to bow dimensions, so I'm assuming that since I took it down to bow dimensions I can expect a faster drying time.  I have read posts where they say 1-2 months of drying time if you take it down to bow dimensions and let it sit, but I'm not sure.  I have been weighing the bow on a daily basis to check and see if it will keep losing weight or stay where it is for a few days.  It has been losing weight on a daily basis (probably because it's near-bow dimensions right now), but i'm not sure when it's going to stop losing weight so I can work on it.  Any ballpark guesses on when a stave like this at near bow dimensions will be dry enough?

I know this topic has been brought up many, many times on the forum, and I apologize if I seem redundant here.  But, I am just curious because instead of having a full stave, I have a stave down to near-bow dimensions.  I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and my question.

Thanks for any input.  I appreciate it!

[BowEd]

There is a chart here showing what moisture content in wood is related to outside humidity and temperature.Hope you can read it.It's in the TBB 1 book I think.I like wood to be 8 to 10 % when making a bow.That's around 75 to 80 degrees and 45 to 50 % humidity.A light fan on it can hurry it along too.Put it in less humidity and warmer temps will speed it up.The length of time it takes to quit losing weight I still let it set 1/3rd of that time longer before making a bow from it.That last 1% takes a little longer.

[BowEd]

Getting a humidity/temperature combo gauge will show you.

[cool_98_555]

Ok so let me understand this correctly:  you can plug in your current temperature of the area the stave is sitting in and the humidity of that particular area, and the number that is on the chart for those two numbers (the equalibrium moisture content) is the moisture content of the stave you want to achieve in that area before it's safe to start tillering?  I have heard 8-10% is a good range to aim for in the wood, but...if I am understanding this, lets's say your room temp is 60 and your humidity is 70% in that room.  According to the chart, that would mean your equalibrium moisture content would be 13.3%.  Does this mean that at that precise temp and humidity in the room (60f and 70%hum), once the stave hits 13.3% moisture content, it is ready to tiller?

[Pat B]

First off you have to give the wood enough time to achieve moisture equilibrium. At that point, if the M/C is 13.3% then you can put the stave in a hot box, with holes to allow the moisture to escape(or in your house with a/c) to reduce the M/C to bow building acceptability.
 I have built osage bows 2 months off the stump. A longer one, 68" ALB fared better than the 60" static recurve but neither performed as they should have and would have with a longer seasoning. I like to give osage 1 year minimum and 2 or more years preferably.

[Joec123able]

Trying to rush wood dry has never worked out for me. I say even at roughed out leave it atleast 6 months. It's not a race.