2 Question

[SiongSA]

hey guys,
a noob's questions need experienced answers 
5 days after cutting a Ash sapling stave which was about 3" wide 68" length i'v tillered it down to bow shape, 2cm thick closer to the handle 1.5cm towards the ends, 1.5 inches at the handle tapering down 3/4 inch, i'm now setting it aside to season, the stave had quite a large natural bend to it so while it drying its been secured to a mahogany board to make it straight, question 1 now its in bow shape how long will it take to season now its so small? and also whats a good,cheap,easy, good looking way to seal a bow?

Sion,
South Africa

[Pat B]

A good rule of thumb is 1 year per inch of thickness, so a 1" thick board will require at least 6 months to dry(1" thick = 1/2" to the center). A lot of this has to do with the relative humidity of your area. You can speed up this process with heat and air movement (hot box with fan) or a similar set up. I usually go by feel and sound as I am working the wood to check dryness. Also if too wet the bow will feel sluggish and start to take on set.
  Any good water resistant wood finish will work to seal the finished bows as long as it is flexable enough to work on a bending bow. Spar varnish should be available to you in South Africa. A cheap alternative would be to heat the bow and rub bees wax into it.

[SiongSA]

A good rule of thumb is 1 year per inch of thickness, so a 1" thick board will require at least 6 months to dry(1" thick = 1/2" to the center). A lot of this has to do with the relative humidity of your area. You can speed up this process with heat and air movement (hot box with fan) or a similar set up. I usually go by feel and sound as I am working the wood to check dryness. Also if too wet the bow will feel sluggish and start to take on set.
  Any good water resistant wood finish will work to seal the finished bows as long as it is flexable enough to work on a bending bow. Spar varnish should be available to you in South Africa. A cheap alternative would be to heat the bow and rub bees wax into it.

Thanks alot Pat