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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: timbermoose on November 17, 2013, 07:20:00 PM

Title: white oak staves
Post by: timbermoose on November 17, 2013, 07:20:00 PM
so Friday at work we dropped a few white oak trees, about 18"-35" diameter. all straight from what I can see, no limbs. damn labourer sawed them into 40" logs. but thinking I could split them into billets for sleeved takedowns or even arrow shafts. how long you figure it to take for oak to dry enough to start on them? a year? there are roughly 15 pieces all about 40"x18"-35". should be a nice stash. will be trying to load them tomorrow in my suburban.
Title: Re: white oak staves
Post by: Brently on November 17, 2013, 08:33:00 PM
I have used white oak and just split it and worked the wood to almost bow size and brought the wood in the house and clamped it to a straight board while it dried.  It dried pretty fast, only a couple of weeks and it was at @10% moisture, this process worked pretty good for me. I removed the bark also when I worked the wood down.
Title: Re: white oak staves
Post by: LittleBen on November 17, 2013, 09:52:00 PM
Yeah thin it down and it'll go fast ... you've got all winter to build so no rush right.

I like the arrow shafts idea too. If it's nice straight grained oak it'd probably make some really awesome shafts.
Title: Re: white oak staves
Post by: timbermoose on November 18, 2013, 01:16:00 AM
yeah ill be bringing them home tomorrow and splitting them out. will see then just what I've got to play with. feel like im in a candy store.
Title: Re: white oak staves
Post by: DelawareDave on November 18, 2013, 02:28:00 PM
What would be wrong with just splicing two halves together??? And make some self bows