Seasoning opinions?

[Johnny K]

Hi everyone,

I recently harvested a couple of saplings of various woods, but, beyond sealing the ends, I haven't done anything with them. On the picture, there's a honey-suckle, a saskatoon (service-berry), and a choke-cherry which had the insolence to begin sprouting in my garage while I'm waiting for it to dry  .They're all around 7' long. Any suggestions on how I had best season them? Bark on or off? Roughed out bow shape? Split the Choke-cherry (it's about 4-5" diameter)?   

Thanks,
John

[Badger]

  It is really unusual to find a honey suckle that large. I would take exceptional care with it and let it dry slowly so it doesn't check. I believe a honeysuckle that size could make an exceptional ELB. Even a very heavy ELB. How are you on ELBS? If not too experienced on them maybe you could find someone close by you who is and I bet you could really turn out a one of a kind classic!

[dylanholderman]

i haven't worked with the others but that honeysuckle WILL check as it is, the best luck have had is to seal the ends and take one side of it down to the pith or close to it.

or(and this is a bit chancy)  you could wait for it to check and then split it the rest of the way. narrow pieces will most often have just one big check down its whole length going all the way to the pith.

[George Tsoukalas]

I prefer saplings that are 2-3 inches in diameter.

I usually take the sapling and mimic stringing it. Sometimes they try to flip around on me. That usually gives me back and belly.

I make sure any knots are positioned on the back if possible.

Then I take a marker and mark 2 lines on either side to delineate back and belly.

I seal the ends with glue or poly and I let the stave settle for a week or so inside.

I leave the stave 2-3 inches longer than my usual bows from full logs so that means 66" to 67" ntn since my whitewood bows are usually in the area of 64"-65" long for my 26" draw.

I determine the center of the bow and handle area. I leave 4 inches for the handle.

I chop out back from belly with a hand axe or hatchet and remove the bark with a drawknife and/or scraper.

I continue getting the stave to bend an inch or 2 so it dries faster. Sometimes with my hand axe and sometimes with a drawknife.

Jawge

[Johnny K]

Thanks for responding guys!

Badger, unfortunately I'm not at all experienced with elbs... anyway, I will try hard to season the honeysuckle properly, and hope it will make a nice bow somewhere along the line. 

dylanholderman, thanks for the tips. I guess I will take it down to the pith on one side then, probably with a hatchet/machete, and not risk waiting for it to check... I really want to use the concave side for the back, and make use of the natural reflex, would be a pity if that one crack appeared on that side... 

Jawge, thanks for taking the time to type out such a detailed procedure. Great info for a newbie like me! I will then probably start to shape some of my saskatoons, make them season faster...   

Thanks again everybody!
John

[dylanholderman]

btw something else i remembered, if you have a cold winter(several inches of snow on the ground) you can cut it then and have the checking problem almost removed

[Johnny K]

btw something else i remembered, if you have a cold winter(several inches of snow on the ground) you can cut it then and have the checking problem almost removed

Yea, I guess I should have cut in winter... winter's plenty cold up here, (several feet of snow on the ground  ) ... only really got started "bowyering" in the spring unfortunately... That honeysuckle is the only one of it's size and perfection I have ever seen, and, now that it's cut I will have to try to make the best of it!

Thanks for the tip, I really appreciate all advice I can get, still have SO MUCH to learn... 

John