Putting moisture back in a hickory board

[MO Hawkeye]

I've had a one inch hickory board for over 2 years in the barn.   This board seems very dry.   To dry to build a bow.   Is there a way I can add moisture to the board and build a bow?   Or do I use this board for firewood?

Thanks,

Paul

[George Tsoukalas]

You could put it in the bathroom for when you shower. However, hickory want s to be dry. In fact, bowyers that live in the desert really love to use it. It is probably ok to use the way it is. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Now remember that the straighter the grain the better. More info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[gmc]

What makes you think it's too dry? Take the average relative humidity of your area and that should get you pretty close. As said above, unless you live in the desert you may need to be thinking in the other direction. Hickory can perform at lower moisture level as compaired to other woods. I like it around 6.5%, I would be nervous below that, but I believe it can go higher, maybe to 10% and still be OK to work with without being too wet. Google the average RH of your area and see where you land, wood will be at equilibrium with its surroundings with whatever it is or very close.

Just hard for me to imagine the need to add moisture back to Hickory.

As Jawge said, the quality of grain could be the bigger concern.

Greg

[Pat B]

I'd say the hickory had other issues like a possible rot infection. Like said above hickory can take more dryness than any other wood I know of(6%m/c). Being a whitewood, hickory is very susceptible to fungal infection and that, in my opinion, would be the culprit.

[Justin Snyder]

If it has been in the bard out of direct sunlight it wont be too dry. I have left hickory in the garage here with temps of 115* and RH of 6% and it doesn't get too dry. As soon as you take it outside and leave it in the sun it becomes a problem.

[Hillbilly]

Hickory left in the barn here for two years will probably have a 16% moisture content. I store my wood in a barn-like shed, but have to bring it inside for a few weeks before I start bending on it to get it dried out. I would think that MO would be similar. It's usually too much moisture in hickory that's the problem.

[MO Hawkeye]

Thanks for the great advice.

Paul