Stave advice.

[Fractured]

Hi all.

Relatively new to bow making and made my first attempt at harvesting some yellow birch staves.  I have a couple of nice staves debarked, sealed and drying but had some issues with getting twisted staves while splitting logs.

And advice on splitting logs for staves?

Any suggestions on how to proceed with the stave pictured?  Is it salvageable?



Thanks in advance!

[bownarra]

Don't worry about it, that amount of twist is no problem at all.
Your twisted staves are not because you split them incorrectly, it is down to the grain being slightly twisted or propellered as the tree grew. No big deal but you can spot the way the grain is going before cutting the tree by getting your eye right next to the trunk and looking along the patterns in the bark.

[DuBois]

Clamp it to a board or the like that is strong enough to keep it inline or at least will not let it twist more.
Let it dry clamped.
When do you want to use it?
Looks like you split it fine imo.
That twist is pretty easy to correct usually once you've gotten it dry enough to work on.

[BAfromPA]

If I am seeing the others in the pile correctly it looks like he may need some more extreme measures on some of them. Others may be firewood. I think the one right above the arrow looks to be twisted more than 100 degrees.

[Fractured]

Clamp it to a board or the like that is strong enough to keep it inline or at least will not let it twist more.
Let it dry clamped.
When do you want to use it?
Looks like you split it fine imo.
That twist is pretty easy to correct usually once you've gotten it dry enough to work on.

No rush on using them.  Gonna let them sit 6 months to a year and hone my skills on some board bows first.  Still shopping around for a draw shave.

[Fractured]

If I am seeing the others in the pile correctly it looks like he may need some more extreme measures on some of them. Others may be firewood. I think the one right above the arrow looks to be twisted more than 100 degrees.

Absolutely correct! 😆

Several are in the firewood pile.

[Fractured]

They have been sitting for about 3 weeks already.  Too late to clamp?

Is it feasible to use heat/steam to straighten later in the process?

Thanks.

[DuBois]

Yes for the one in your hands.
I rough it in, clamp the handle section down tight to work bench, put sliding clamps with long slide bars on the ends at about 2 o'clock from the stave on one end and 10 o'clock on the other, and then hang/clamp weight on the bars.
Then i heat it and watch as it relaxes. When it reaches where you want it put stick under clamp bar to stop further twist. Pretty fun actually!
Remember to go maybe 10 % past what you want to stay at.
Marco

[Fractured]

Thanks for all the input!

[Eric Krewson]

I never have clamped a stave to a board to keep it from warping, I have used up three heat guns over the last 27 years untwisting them after they seasoned so this is my preferred method.

[DuBois]

I never have clamped a stave to a board to keep it from warping, I have used up three heat guns over the last 27 years untwisting them after they seasoned so this is my preferred method.

Honestly neither have I. Just repeating what I've heard from wize men on here before.
I like the gun, oil and weights method👍

[Eric Krewson]

If you only have a stave or two clamping is a viable option. If you have run through as many staves as I have, clamping all the twisty stuff would be impossible, almost all my osage needs some correction.