Drying Hickory

[Scallorn]

Back in March I decided to cut a piece of hickory to make a bow for this years hunting season. I cut it to length, roughed it out, and sealed the ends with glue. But I'm not sure how long I should let it dry before I finish it out. I'm thinking around five to six months. but I'm not sure

[tom sawyer]

When you say you roughe dit out I suppose this is a bow blank now?  How thick is the blank in the limbs?  They say wood will dry about an inch a year.  You can speed that by drying it in your car with the windows up, or make a little drying chamber out of stove pipe and a space heater.  Or make an actual drying box like Torges shows in Hunting the Osage Bow.

[twisted hickory]

Back in March I decided to cut a piece of hickory to make a bow for this years hunting season. I cut it to length, roughed it out, and sealed the ends with glue. But I'm not sure how long I should let it dry before I finish it out. I'm thinking around five to six months. but I'm not sure

I am no expert but I have made 5 out of hickory. I cut the log on December 25 of 2012 and split into staves, roughed out to dimentions, removed bark down to cambium and covered cambium ends and handle area with urathane. I left it outside for 1 week off the ground, then in mud room area where I kept humidity at around 40%. I three weeks after that I was tillering the first bow out. It took some set due to moisture and my not knowing what I was doing at all. I would suggest from my past experience get all dimentions within 1/4 inch of your finished dimentions and let it set for 1 month in 40% humidity before attempting to tiller. There are other figures on the web out there but that seems to be what works for me. Get at least 2 of the staves roughed out at a time get one to a nice floor tiller and finish out the other one. You will learn lots just on the first bow, apply it to your second and you will have a shooter to kill a deer with
hope it helps,
Greg

[osage outlaw]

I have had a roughed out hickory bow under my bed for a couple of years.  It has actually gained moisture weight in that time.  I think a hot box is about the only way to go with hickory unless you live in a desert.

[Scallorn]

Thanks for the input so far. It started as a 5-6 inch sapling, and by "roughed it out" I mean split it and used a hatchet to take wood off the sides and belly of the stave, and make it into a 2"x 2" board. It has just been leaned up in the corner of my living room for the past month, so I might try the car idea.

[burchett.donald]

 Scallorn,
        With hickory if there is any moisture above 8% to 9% it will probably most likely take set. The question is how much and that depends on many variables including your level of tillering skill. I would recommend weighing it and check it weekly until it stops losing weight. Keep it inside in low humidity levels. Osage Outlaw gave some good advice on a hot box for added insurance.

[twisted hickory]

Thanks for the input so far. It started as a 5-6 inch sapling, and by "roughed it out" I mean split it and used a hatchet to take wood off the sides and belly of the stave, and make it into a 2"x 2" board. It has just been leaned up in the corner of my living room for the past month, so I might try the car idea.

I havent tried the car idea but proceed with caution you can ruin a good stave by doing that. I use my mud room where there is a wood stove in it humidity stays around 30- 35% in the winter but I ruined 3 staves before I got the hang of it. In my experience the wood needs about 30 days at 40% or so so it doesn't crack too bad. Once you get the hickory dry enough it makes a very nice bow.
Good luck
Greg