build time question

[Johnny Reb]

If a bow is built over a time period of a few months will ther be any ill affects the the bow ?? what would be the ideal time line ??

I keep debating on building one over buying, but I dont have a lot of extra time and it mite take a considerable amount of time, I would love to try it but dont want to end up wasting all the effort and materials.

[Silent Bear]

nope, some bows I have built have taken years to finally complete, If you have any questions on building them or what materials to use feel free to ask

[bjansen]

I just got a few recurve blanks glued up by a local bowyer in the early 90's...they look great and I'm not worried about them at all when I get to finishing them.  Start a bow...you'll find time to finish it!

[Jason Scott]

Just keep it in a controled environment - low humidity. I keep wood I plan to use in the near future on a top shelf of a closet in the house because I live on the Gulf Coast.

[Apex Predator]

Yep, keep it in the house for prolonged delays if it's not finished.

[Johnny Reb]

I was wunder'n about the moisture in the air, humid in a bad way in the summer time here, I was cocerned it mite warp or crack, and for what its worth I dont have central air or a heat pump to pull moistuer from within the house.

Just try'n to gain a little insight, thanx for the food for thought.

[Jason Scott]

Even a window a/c unit removes the moisture from the air. If you see water drip from it on a hot day that is the moisture from your inside air.

There are two ways to control moisture in wood that I know of. Keep it in a humidity free environment for a while (time depends on thickness of wood and starting moisture content)or force it out with heat. You could build a hot box with light bulbs but this can be tricky cause it can damage the wood. Warping and checking happens during the drying phase. Drying too hard and fast is where you increase the odds of damaging it but there are methods to control the amount of warping and checking that takes place. Give it a try anyway, even if you decide to go ahead and buy a built bow you can start aquiring the materials now to make one.