Newbie Intro

[willie]

I figure I can cut some logs while I research bow building during the next year or so.  Some say to cut and leave lay for a day, some remove the bark and seal the ends.  I just want to do it correctly so I have workable wood in the future.

different species need to be handled differently. most wood is ok drying until the free water is gone, (a couple of days), then the bound water starts leaving the cells and the wood will shrink as it dries. thickness matters, and which side of the cascades you are on. As DC notes, being near the desert requires you to be more attentive to the drying process. a digital gram scale of the kitchen variety helps here especially with a stave that has been reduced to near bow dimensions. Good humidity conditions and monitoring can get you from wood standing in the tree to tillering in a month.

[Sagebrush]

Russian olive is on my to do list, all my readings say it's mediocre.   If you're in central washington just hit me up and ill drop you a bit of vine maple to work on while you wait for staves to dry.  Get to making sir!

[Packgoat]

Thanks Everyone!

I’m in central Washington (Tri-Cities) so it can be hot in the summers.  Another option I have is some white ash rough sawn boards.  Maybe I can laminate some boards?  They have seasoned for many years so I know they are dry.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Sagebrush]

I'm in Yakima and will tell you from experience, our humidity is ridiculously low.  My first few years i blew up 5 yew bows.  A fellow bowyer told me to back everything and go wider than the books recommend.  My success rate improved dramatically. Seal your ends well and I usually dry with bark on to slow the drying down. 

I dont know much about ash.  There is some yew in the blues out to the east.  Tons of serviceberry around.  Douglas maple everywhere and it is a good low weight practice wood.  Good luck.