Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: missilemaster on July 27, 2011, 11:13:06 pm
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Hi all,
I am going to be cutting some crab apple soon and was wondering how I should dry it? I read that this wood likes to check and warp so I was thinking I should seal the ends, remove the bark, take it down to just above bow dimentions and clamp it to a form to dry. The piece Im looking at cutting is billet material, about 42" long and 7" thick. Has anyone used this wood for bows?
Cody
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Howdy, A crabapple bow won BOM a while back. Check out the "You've Got to be Kidding" Birdseye Crabapple Bow thread.
I haven't used crabapple yet, but I've tried plum and that has a real rep for being hard to dry. Plum has worked for me if I split it. leave the bark on and then paint the entire stave with tung oil. It might help to clamp it down to to minimize warping. I suggest something similar for crabapple. Removing the bark would probably increase the chances of checks and splits. Ron
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All of the crabapple around here grows spiraled. Study ther bark well so you cut a straight growing tree.
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I agree with M-P. Not sure what it is about the fruit tree woods but I cut a nice Apple tree stave this spring, debarked, worked to profile and sealed the heck out of it and it checked horribly through the heart and twisted like crazy. If I was to try Apple again I'd leave the bark on, seal the ends and just let it dry in a corner for a year or two.
Good luck with it.
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I've made a couple crab apple branch bows. The wood is VERY hard and dense and fairly easy to work
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I cut a crabapple stave once, and it looked like the unholy union of a pretzel and a corkscrew by the time it seasoned out. ;D