Wet weather tillering.

[carpenter374]

Hey all. Ive got 3 hickory staves im workin on. I wanna tiller today but it's wet out today. Lil bit of mist and ocassional sleet. If i tiller in my garage do i gotta worry about the tillered staves takin on moisture and thus gaining draw weight after tillering?

[Pappy]

Yes you do.Even when it ant raining but high humidity I tiller Hickory in stages,about an hour at
at a time then put them in a hot box or good dry place ,like in front of a heater or over a heat/ac vent.Not only will it pick up weight when it dose dry,the worst part is it will cause it to take excessive set.Keep it as dry as possible all the way through the tillering process,can't stress that
enough.Good luck and keep us posted.
   Pappy

[sumpitan]

Winter-time RH (we have 84% here now) can wreak havoc on unfinished bows, especially hickory. I've weighed near-finished bows and found out they soak up (and lose) ambient moisture surprisingly fast, several grams of water per hour at most. Straining raw wood limbs in high humidity leads to increased, permanent set - gaining weight later is a small problem in comparison. I'd wait out for better weather. But then, I'm a perfectionist / wanker.

E: Now I see Pappy already posted what needed to be said.

Tuukka

[George Tsoukalas]

It depends on where you live. The humidity is 34% here now. Not a problem for me now. Jawge

[Pat B]

Even in high humidity times and areas there is plenty of bow work you can do without stressing the bow into unwanted. You can take a stave to 4" of floor tiller without stressing it. These wet times are good times to bring raw staves to shape and then to floor tiller. When the weather turns dry, take out one of your "preforms" and continue with the tillering.
   I believe a "hot box" of some sort is necessary for consistent selfbows. Unless you live in an area with consistently low humidity(then you need to hydrate). Wood is hygroscopic...meaning it takes moisture from the air. I have never actually measured the loss and gain like sumpitan has but have developed a feel for the increase and decrease of M/C in staves I am working on. The sound of the tools on the wood and the resistance in the limbs will let you know if it is too wet to work on.
  If your home has a heat vent, a wood stove, utility room with hot water heater or other "micro-climates" that are drier than the rest of the house, you have a "hot box"! A simple tube with a light bulb in one end, a box made from plywood or foil backed foam insulation and duct tape with light bulb heat sources are simple, inexpensive hot boxes. A car parked in the sun is another. Let your imagination be your guide...as long as safety in your number 1 concern.      Pat