Primitive tests for moisture content?

[richpierce]

I was wondering what you think primitive man used to test the moisture of the wood he was making into a bow.  One thing is sound- dry wood sort of "rings" when the stave end is thumped on a stone.  I wonder if the sound of a stave was aver used.  Knock a stave with a bone, or piece of antler, etc, while listening to it.  Also I notice that the shavings tell me quite a bit by how they look and feel when bent in the fingers.  Last but not least, how quickly and readily the shavings burn might tell us something.  Has anyone done a test comparing moisture meter readings and any of these variables?

[Justin Snyder]

Bend it and see if it takes set.  Justin

[Pat B]

I can tell by sound of a rasp or scraper on the wood and the resilience of the stave when I bend it. I never use a moisture meter and I have owned one for years.     Pat

[Badger]

I use a moisture meter only when I know the stave is wet and waiting for it to get to a point where I can rough it out. After that feeling the resiliency in the wood seems the best way. Steve

[Coo-wah-chobee]

.....Like Pat an Badger said........bob

[Dano]

I go by taste.

Sorry I could'nt resist.

[carpenter374]

in the tbb it mentions using a crude balance scale to check the weight of the stave. when it stops losing weight it's dry. just a couple peices of 3/8 rebar or something like could make the balance scale.

[Kegan]

Like Justin said- brace it and check if it takes set. But after a while you'll relize whether or not it's dry by how your tools work trhough it.

[jkekoni]

I do not think there are any good primitive tests for that.
Weighting could be perhaps done with a stick and 2 ropes, but I am somewhat unsure about the accuracy. Perhaps long stick would
have enough accuracy.

Working the bow near final thickness will quarantee it drying in reasonable time.

Wood always feels dry earlier that it actually is.

[Justin Snyder]

Like Justin said- brace it and check if it takes set. But after a while you'll relize whether or not it's dry by how your tools work trhough it.

Kegan, I dont mean to brace it. You should never get that far with wet wood.  I was thinking more along the lines of floor tillering and you can tell by the feel.   Justin

[Badger]

One of the things my mass weight program is useful for is detecting high moisture in the wood. If a stave is physicaly heavy yet feels weak in bow tensions it is almost certainly too high in moisture, just as it may be too dry if it is very strong on bow tensions yet physicaly very light. Steve