Cutting Down a Sapling and Immediately Cutting It Down to More Near Dimensions

[Carl Galvin]

Have any of you  experimented with free wood and just cut down an oak sapling, hatcheting it down to near dimensions, and then just brought it indoors to try to let it quick dry?  Would it work?  I hear that Florida Live Oak is a potential bow wood, and I just have some free stuff to play with.

If it would work in causing a quick dry, should it be sealed in any way?  Thanks!

[Del the cat]

I've done similar with Hazel, but you want to leave plenty of extra width to allow for the wood warping as it dries.
Del

[Carl Galvin]

I just want to make sure, when you mean with, you mean from one side of the limb to be, to the other correct?  Not thickness from what would be the back to what would be the belly.

Also, did your experiment work?  Did you get a working bow?

[PatM]

 Bows have been successfully made this way since they were invented.

[Carl Galvin]

Thanks Pat

[bushboy]

You can always rachcet strap it to something like a 2x4 to keep the warping to a minimal.

[Carl Galvin]

Yeah That is what I did with my hickory stave, It had been cut in january of last year, and I merely cutt it down so that it dried faster and left it indoors (it had already been sealed by the guy that sold it to me.

[willie]

I like to leave a little extra thickness at the handle (will it be a bendy handle?), and bring the whole stavedown to that thickness also. not too much thinning on the limbs just yet. as del says, no need to narrow width yet.

most white woods:
pick up a gram/food portion scale. you will loose 10% weight a day once you remove bark and split. after 3 days or so of fast weight reduction, the weight loss should slow dramatically, and you should be prepared to seal the stave some to prevent checking. watch daily for checks starting to form. breezy and shady spot is best.  as weight loss really slows down you can keep it in a car or someplace warmer. you can be tillering in a month.

all woods differ. these are just general recommendations. some woods are notorious for not liking fast drying at all

if you are in live oak country, there are also lots of ornamentals you can keep your eye out for. some florida guys might be a help with that, all's i know is that I keep threatening to prune my sisters crepe myrtle when i visit.
 

[PatM]

There is some interesting curing by fire techniques too.  You really can make a bow in a hurry if  need be.

[Eric Garza]

The curing by fire is a new thing to me. Badger (Steve Gardner) talked about that in a podcast episode we recorded earlier this year. I hope to release it in the next couple weeks.

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/saplingbow.html

[GlisGlis]

I've done with hazel too
debarkef, roughed, dry heat bend correction while still green
then straped to a steel tube (maybe petter use a plank) to avoid bend and distortion while drying

[simk]

It works fine & you can start tillering after 2 weeks if you season it in a warm place e.g. your car.

If you leave it thicker @ the handle-section glue the fades (& a bit more) well, so that it don't cracks there.

The best thing about it is, that you can dry your workpiece in a certain form, eg reflex deflex: look here:

http://www.holzbogenxplosion.de/index.html/bogenrohlinge/

With some clamps sideways you can avoid the workpiece leaving the straight string-line. Im you clamp it don't forget to put something smooth between the clamp and the wood, e.g. a piece of leather. The back of the bow doesen't like the clamps...

Cheers

[Springbuck]

This is how I handle almost all my wood.  If I can't get to it that day, I seal ends and leave bark on, but not for long, not for like, months or the bugs will eat it.

I will either split or chainsaw a sapling in half, or machete in on one side if it's smaller diameter.  I peel bark next.    I leave a thicker handle or don't, depending on intended design.  Handle bows get taken down to 1.5" or thicker at the handle, and most limbs down to less than an inch thick.   Just over an inch for BITH  styles.

I leave them full width, unless there is just obviously way more wood than I need.  Then I seal handle, tips, and usually belly with glue or varnish, and clamp, tie, screw, nail, or strap them down to prevent warping.  I fine tune the thickness a bit sometimes at this stage,, shim around knots and lumps, and try to get a centered crown.   Then dry them in a cool, humid place a few days, and anything goes after that.

This all varies slightly with species or whatever (plum loves to check while drying, but is not very stiff and IS very elastic, so I leave it thicker. )   But wood can be ready in just over a week.   BE SURE, though.  Wet wood takes set.