How long for stave to dry?

[loosenock]

This stave was made from a 1/4 round Mulberry log using draw knife and spoke shave.  I was told it was cut in January.  It weighs about 1/6th what it used too.  It had a slight propeller twist to it.  After hewing the rough stave I clamped it down in the "vee" of an 1 1/2" angle iron and let it dry out for a couple of weeks.  It is now nice and straight with no twist.  I clamped it back onto the angle iron flat side with about 1/2" of back set.  I plan on letting dry out during the Colorado summer.  I don't have a moisture meter but was wondering about how long I should let this cure or dry?  Anyone have any thoughts on how long to cure?  Colorado is not known for its humidity.

Joe

[lowell]

I think I read that you can figure 1 inch per year........2 inches of wood would take a year.  1 inch in from outside to center.  Or 4 inches of wood would take 2 years. 

  Will wait also for further thoughts!!!

[shamus]

yup. 1 inch-per-year for a stave. Reduce it to bow dimensions, give it a little bit of floor tillering, and it should be dry in a month or so.

I had a red mulberry stave that I cut it down to a bow blank (no floor tillering). Limbs were 3/4 thick. I clamped it to a 4X6 and let it dry for about four months. It made a real good bow.

I think the smaller a piece of wood gets, the drying rate increasing exponentially.

[ricktrojanowski]

I would keep weighing it.  As soon as it stops loosing weight for a week straight it should be good.

[shamus]

As a stave, there is too much wood there to register any minute weight lose. If you want to weight it, get a 5# or a 2# scale that weighs things in ounces. Reduce the stave to a bow blank, and then weight it. As the bow dries, the weight loss will show up on that scale. As it dries though, it may stay at a certain weight for a few days, and then start losing wight again.  When the stave has lost no weight for 1/3 of the time it's been drying, then it's dry.