how much humidity

[Springbuck]

Jeff, I live in Utah, too, and I just keep all my wood in the garage, which is warmer than inside, probably more humid (the dryer vents out there, too boot), and it's always fine, regardless of fluctuations by season, etc...unless I leave it so long bugs find it....  I don't even own a moisture meter because in Utah, it's almost always dry enough that wood behaves right. 

This is also probably because I end up heat treating/straightening almost everything I work with, because I have to.  I've only had a couple breaks I could put down to wood being too dry, and those were kind of over-cooked, as well.....

[willie]

The meter showed 9-10% and about 90 degrees.

is your meter a moisture meter you tested the  wood with?

a temp/ humidity gauge for the air in the garage?

[BowEd]

[gfugal]

Okay, this is a dilemma for me. I also live in Utah. I don't really have the means right now to control my humidity, I don't even have a way to measure it. But even if I did would it be worth it? After all, when I shoot the thing it's not going to be ideal humidity. Shouldn't you build it to withstand the conditions it will be used in? I'm kind of leaning with springbuck and not giving a s@#*. But then again, if Tim Backer said every 1% off causes a 6% decrease in performance then it's more serious than I thought. Is that true for every 1% drier or just 1% moister? If it is true, wouldn't mine and springbuck's bows be severely handicapped? Mine may because I haven't built a real shooter yet, but I'm sure springbuck is quite successful still.   

and out of curiosity, If Jeff wanted to bring up the moisture content of his wood, would soaking it in a tub speed up the process? I guess there is the danger of the wood warping, but I imagine you can control it somehow. Waiting several months every time your wood dries out too much before you can do anything sounds like a nightmare to me.

[steve b.]

I think its worth paying attention to humidity.  If for no other reason than for the bows that are sinew backed--because I don't always seal up the backs ideally.  And if I did, I wouldn't trust the seal job.  I just like knowing I have at least a few days of using the bow before I really have to worry, unless its raining, etc.  But I'm in oregon so.....
I'm sure some woods are more sensative to humidity than others. 

With a bow you are using I would not worry so much, in your climate, because ideally you sealed it when it was at a good moisture content.  It would take awhile for a sealed bow to change its moisture and thus its performance. 

If I have a dehydrated bow or if I heat treat I will wipe the wood down with a damp rag.  The bow I just broke I wiped three times and the moisture was gone in minutes. 

[jeffp51]

I am using a temperature/humidity meter, not a wood moisture meter, so 10% humidity will result in 1% moisture content, based on the charts. Keeping my bows inside has worked so far, but right now my garage is an oven, so I think the basement will be better given the option.

Springbuck, gfugal- some day soon we need to get the Utah guys together to shoot. Red-handed and loeflerchuck and a couple others are also in Utah.

[DC]

I kind of obsess about this and I don't think I should but what the hey. I'm with Steve when he says different woods behave differently. I think the speed that the water moves through the wood is the key. A dense wood like OS takes a long time to lose moisture and I'd bet it would take a long time to suck it back up. This makes me think that the time would be equal for hydration/dehydration if the wood was already reasonably dry to start with. If you started with green wood the story would be different because they lose so much in the first day or so. Most of us have dealt with firewood and know that once it's dry it can get rained on hard and still burn just fine.

[upstatenybowyer]

My brother lives in Salt Lake City. I gave him a bow I made out of hickory here in upstate NY and visited him about a year later. It was like an entirely different bow. Shot like a bazooka on steroids.

It's ironic cause I've got tons of hickory on my property but almost never use it cause it's so humid here. If you Utah boys ever want to trade some for some juniper let me know!

[BowEd]

It's best to tiller your bows at the humidity that you are going to use them in.At 50% humidity while tlllering I don't see much change in my performance shooting or hunting here.

[jeffp51]

My brother lives in Salt Lake City. I gave him a bow I made out of hickory here in upstate NY and visited him about a year later. It was like an entirely different bow. Shot like a bazooka on steroids.

It's ironic cause I've got tons of hickory on my property but almost never use it cause it's so humid here. If you Utah boys ever want to trade some for some juniper let me know!

I have a juniper stave.  maybe we should talk. . .

[Springbuck]

Springbuck, gfugal- some day soon we need to get the Utah guys together to shoot. Red-handed and loeflerchuck and a couple others are also in Utah.

That sounds like fun!  Maybe even a meet up and rabbit hunt or something.

[Springbuck]

It's ironic cause I've got tons of hickory on my property but almost never use it cause it's so humid here. If you Utah boys ever want to trade some for some juniper let me know!

Yeah, I LOVE hickory when I can get it..  I'd take a trip just to find you some juniper.  Shipping is always a wrench in the works, though.

[Springbuck]

And I don't mean I don't think about it at all, just that conditions here in the winter are cold and dry.  Springs are brief, and between rains it isn't muggy.   Summer is hot enough that even with slightly higher humidity, it's still mostly a dry heat.  But it doesn't get hot enough in my garage to over dry wood, and in summer, the indoor air is even drier.   I just happen to live in conditions that are good for drying and keeping wood.  The only issues are with things like BL and plum that REALLY want to check in my normal conditions.  My wood is rarely not dry enough jst sitting around, so I count myself lucky.

[DC]

But then again, if Tim Backer said every 1% off causes a 6% decrease in performance then it's more serious than I thought.

We know that Hickory likes to be drier than most. This hints that every species has an optimal MC. Has anyone seen such a list? Or attempted list? If I could dry a bow 1% and increase the speed from 160 to 170(approx)fps I would change the RH in my hot box. Of course if its draw weight went from 45 to 48# I might not be able to pull it comfortably.