Sapling bow - do I season the wood first?

[palmnut]

I have a burning desire to make a sapling bow, but need to check out a couple of basic questions.

Once I've harvested my sapling (I intend to use Ash) and have split it, should I lay it up to dry first? If so, should I rough shape it first? Any tips on how to know when it's ready for final forming?

Is there a best time of year to harvest the wood BTW?

 

[Robbo]

Firstly coat the ends with paint/wax/pva glue, anything to slow the release of watervapour or they will split.

I'm attempting the same thing myself with a stave of Birch (I've got my eye on some nice long rowan saplings too).

To speed up seasoning I've read you rough it down to just above bow thickness and floor tiller it so its bending around 8 inches (no more) at the desired draw weight your aiming for. But leave the bow tips the same width as the rest of the bow limbs till its seasoned.

Strip off the bark while its wet, its easier than when its seasoned, be very careful not to damage the wood under the bark as this will be the back of the bow and will take all the tensile forces in the bow.

If you want you can tie it to a former (like the end of a bed belly out with spacer at the handle to introduce some reflex while it drys, not too much say around 3 inches, this will help make a faster bow and help reduce set.

Keep the belly as flat as possible to minimise set.

Not wanting to patronise you but do you know what I mean when I talk about the back and belly of a bow and set?

Andy

 

[Grooveski]

If it's a sapling bow you won't be splitting it. Go at it with an axe leaving the handle area full diameter to start with. It'll probably split along handle while drying but it's an easy split to control...
...and when it dries out and the centre shrinks it's sometimes hard to tell that it's even been cracked.
But yeah, dry it out. Rough it out first then dry for a couple of months at least.

I grew up with a cut in winter mentality for all wood but trying a summer cut on ash and being able to peel off the bark changed that. I'll be doing that again.

 

[oops56]

If you split it seal the ends with wood glue wipe in one with you hand till it cant hold any more let it dry.let dry in a cool place not hot you can leave bark on or off i take mine off but both ways work 6 to 8 mouths to dry. When i did my first one i broke all the rules and i did it green shape the bow close to size left a little extra wood one it put one a 2 by 4 with nails bent to recurved.put over wood stove to dry took 3 days then till by eye put a leather backing cause it was a shot bow made my own bow string and its a65 lb.pull

 

[Robbo]

In the bowyers bible it states that a stave roughed out to bow shape can be dry in a couple weeks if kept indoors, if left as half a log it can take months if not years to dry out.

Basically you looking to get the Moisture content down to around 10% i think, someone may want to correct me on the exact percentage.

The wood doesnt care how long it takes to dry as long as its down in a controlled way even kiln dryed wood can make a very good bow if the grain of the wood is ok. get a moisture meter and check the stave after a couple weeks.

Andy

 

[spamel]

I believe the cut in winter advice is due to the sap being out of the wood, thus less drying required. Gotta start looking for some so I can have a go!

 

[Eric_Methven]

I let mine dry outdoors in a dry area where there's plenty of airflow. I usually split then shape to nearly finished. I always lash the stave tightly to a solid piece of 2x2 so it doesn't develop a twist during drying. Then I forget about it. In six months or so, I play around with it again. From a long straight piece (about 5"-6" at the butt) I get four staves. I lash each to each side of the 2x2, reversing them so two tops and two butts at each end of the 2x2. That way if there is any twist developing, they counteract each other and don't twist the 2x2. I use gaffa tape to do the lashing. If I get one good bow from the four, I'm happy. More than that is a bonus.

Eric

 

[palmnut]

Thanks for those replies chaps.

On reflection I think I'm going to have a bash at some hazel first, as I can't move round here without bumping into an old coppice - I can c**k it up on 'common' wood, before I go find an ash sapling. I can also then play 'make mine look like Stovie's'.

Now all I have to do is arrange for that piece of hazel to just fall off the tree as I'm passing.

 

[oops56]

I must be doing some of it wrong i got 4 Pisces down cellar been their for 6 years ready to go someday was a 8 in. ash split in 4 a little twist not bad. hint don't split with a metal wedge make a small crack at top with axe then i use hard wood wedges.