How did you season the Stave Mate ? I see absolutely no point in seasoning Staves for Years ! I always split my Staves, Strip the Bark immediately then work them down to a Floor Tiller whilst Green, leaving the Limbs and Tips nice and wide but as thin as possible. The Staves Season within Weeks, do not Twist or Check. The secret is thinner wood than it is wide. Obviously as you Tiller the Stave the tips and limbs dimentions are ruduced.
Thanks Perry, The stave air dried for 2 years then spent 6-12 months as a minimised stave then over 6 months at just over finished dimension so it had plenty of time to dry. I inly left it that long due to not having much time rather than some set formula for drying.
Flat Cuts such as a Saw leaves are asking for Trouble Drying Check Wise. A Stave with uneven cuts such as if it was felled with an Axe or Machette still Checks but due to the uneven Cuts Moisture escapes over a greater surface area and it will not check as badly. I just weigh the Stave regularly and when it looses no weight for 2 or 3 Days it should be dry enough to make a Bow regardless of where you live
Thats interesting about leaving the uneven cuts for drying, make sense. Weighing the stave is good provided the equilibrium moisture content of your area is suitable
, there is a big difference between the warmth of QLD and the very mild temperature of the top of the Blue Mountains. I have spoken to a couple of carpenters that work up here and yes they have had issue with furniture warping when it is brought inside after construction.
Despite being a Self confessed Ludite I am really interested in your success with the Moisture Metre and then the Heat Gun as it seems to me that this Bow was thin enough to dry thoughly as it took so long for you to finish it. I remember Years ago Glenn Newell told me that he had great success with Osage and a Heat Gun.
I had to heat straighten the bow to get it to remain strung as there was a bend in the handle that had the tips 1" to to the side of the handle. I heated with a heat gun and used olive oil to minimise the scorching and managed to get the bow to bend into line at a 1 1/2" x 1" area so Osage obviously works well with heat. Following the directions on heat treating in the bowyers bible you clamp the bow into reflex or whatever shape and work from the tips in to the handle. I didn't use a form but placed the handle on a 2" block and clamped the tips down to the bench. I could see when the wood plasticised due to the heat as the shape changed in front of my eyes
. I feel I have learnt allot from this bow. Cheers Steve
anyway it isn't that noticeable and should last a few years as is.
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. Cheers Steve
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