Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Mounter on July 21, 2016, 11:14:29 pm
-
Ok I'm trying to dry a couple of Osage stave's fairly quick.(cut early May) one is a thin ringed,thin but wide stave. Other is a thick ringed, but pretty narrow stave. Bout 3 inch's. Given the same exact drying conditions, which do you'all think will be dryer?
I didn't say seasoned, I noticed that's a touchy subject.
I Will get a moisture meter next week for sure, but thought this might be fun. Maybe?
-
Thinner wood will dry quicker than thick wood. Reduce both staves to floor tiller stage and they will dry quicker still.
-
will do. Do you think early or late wood ratio makes much difference?
-
Yes. :)
Pappy
-
If I feel theres not enough late wood, I leave the stave wider. Jawge
-
Yes. :)
Pappy
Thx, I pretty much got the same response from my chocolate Labrador retriever.... Maybe I should have asked, what dry's faster. A stave with a high or low, early to late wood ratio? I thought it might be fun to guess at, but realize it's probably been discussed before.
No matter, picking up a meter tomorrow.
-
Sapwood will have a higher starting moisture level but will lose it much quicker so I'd imagine the higher early wood ratio will dry quicker for ya. Thickness of the staves will be your larger factor though, drying time required has an almost exponential relationship to thickness in that one twice as thick as another should take substantially more than twice as long. That's not the same as width though width isn't going to make any difference unless it is narrow as it is thick
-
Early wood is soft and porous, late wood is dense. The more late wood the slower the drying process. IMO.
-
Buy you a seasoned stave or sapling. And let yours dry naterallly for a year 2 be better. Learning to slow down. That go's along with any part of building a bow. To do it right there's no hurrying. If you do you'll stay warm with fire wood this winter.