cut or wait on bow staves?

[masonred]

When is the best time to cut wood? I've heard that the amount of sap makes a difference on the way wood cures not just the amount of time it takes to dry. I should have paid attention when I was young but that didn't happen. I have some elm that needs to go trees are to thick, growing to close together for my taste. So does it matter if the trees are cut now? This is new to me I've made 2 board bows or 1 1/2, one didn't get finished before it broke in half.

[Josh B]

Now is the perfect time for whitewoods.  The saps flowing so the bark should come right off. Cut it, split it, peel it and seal it.  Josh

[TimBo]

Is there any advantage to waiting until August or so to get a thicker growth ring for the back?

[Springbuck]

Timbo, I wait a little.

 It's not a curing or moisture content thing, though, even as wet as the wood can be in spring.   On strongly ring porous woods like elm and ash, I have had that growth ring under the bark, the one we want for the back, be so thin that it wouldn't hold over a thickish porous winter ring.  I have cut several staves of elm, cut about when the snow melted off, that started to crack and actually have the eggshell-thin outer growth ring flake off.  One I scraped down and saved at a lower weight, and a couple others that hinged where the flaking started.

So, have a look if you cut it.  If that outer ring is under 1/16" maybe take off a layer, or just give it til the end of May, or whatever.

[Del the cat]

Best time to cut is when you have the opportunity, the inclination and a saw
Del

[Josh B]

Depending on your area, the latewood shouldn't haven't even started forming yet.  It should just be the porous early wood developing now.  I sand that off right along with whatever I sealed the back with when the stave is seasoned.  Now if your from further south, the latewood may have started already.  In that case I would certainly wait awhile.  Most whitewoods that I have harvested the bark slipped easily clear through August.  It was pointed out to me that trying that with hickory wouldn't work and the bark sticks tight after July.  So that very august I harvested some pecan.  Sure enough, that bark was stuck tight.  So I guess what I'm trying to say is it depends on your region and the species you're after.  Cut one piece, see if the timings right.  If it is cut some more.  If not... wait.  Josh

[masonred]

I'm near Austin Tx, so the trees have had leaves for awhile.

[crooketarrow]

  I've cut dozzen's and dozzens of trees. All kinds white wood and hard woods.

   Made 75 ,80 bows, sold 100's of staves.

   Crooketarrow once told me the time of year dos'nt matter. If you leave it season on it's own for a year or 2. I beleive he was right from what I've seen. He did build self bows for 50 plus years.

  I leave staves season at least 3 years in a dry airy barn. But I have some 6,8,12 . to some Osage 15, 20 years.

  I cut and split a lot, work the ones down I want to either but on a caul or I'll reflex some of the other. I make dead sure there well seasoned. Pm me it you need a stave.  Sell or trade

[PatM]

Timbo, I wait a little.

 It's not a curing or moisture content thing, though, even as wet as the wood can be in spring.   On strongly ring porous woods like elm and ash, I have had that growth ring under the bark, the one we want for the back, be so thin that it wouldn't hold over a thickish porous winter ring.  I have cut several staves of elm, cut about when the snow melted off, that started to crack and actually have the eggshell-thin outer growth ring flake off.  One I scraped down and saved at a lower weight, and a couple others that hinged where the flaking started.

So, have a look if you cut it.  If that outer ring is under 1/16" maybe take off a layer, or just give it til the end of May, or whatever.

  This shows a misunderstanding of how a tree grows a ring. Whatever problem you had  was not related to the time of year. When the snow is just melting the  outer ring is the same as it was at the end of the previous growing season.

[bradsmith2010]

I am sure there is an optimum time to cut,, but the difference between that and the worst time to cut, is probably not an issue in the in the quality of bow that can be made from a stave,,,

[wizardgoat]

I like to cut in the fall/winter, because I don't get as sweaty, less people out there, and I seem to get less checking. But really, I cut whenever the opportunity arises.
I cut 5 yew poles just yesterday.

[George Tsoukalas]

Cut it during the growing season if it is a whitewood so the bark will come off easily as was said above. For osage, the locust sand mulberry it doesn not matter since the sapwood should come off anyway. Jawge

[DC]

This is just an observation that comes from wiring my bonsai trees. We wire them to train the limbs to stay where we want them. The wire is wrapped in a spiral around the branch and then the branch is bent into position. They have to be watched carefully to prevent the wire from cutting into the bark. The time when the tree thickens the most is in the fall. You can watch the tree all summer and the wire won't tighten that much but if you forget to watch it in the fall you will find that the wire has cut in. I have no idea what the mechanism is but it's the same for deciduous as well as evergreen trees. The trees must store the energy/food somewhere and then thicken in the fall. I've been doing bonsai for 25 years and it's the same for all the trees I've dealt with.
I'm not sure what this means as far as collecting is concerned. Maybe to avoid fall collection as this appears to be when the tree is building a ring(or the bulk of a ring). I don't think it's a big deal. I'm with Del. Collect when the opportunity arises and your saw is sharp. And your saw should always be sharp

[PatM]

   The growing season is more dependent on daylight hours and temperature than the actual season.   I'd be skeptical that a tree could put down most of a late ring  in a short period of time late in the year.
 

[DC]

One way or tother the fall is when they thicken. It may not be ring growth that actually thickens it, it may be starch storage or whatever but that's when the wire really tightens.