White Oak. What Next?

[Valkyrie]

So I am leaving my roughed out ash stave dry for a few weeks and in the mean time I took some advice and decided to get some white oak.  I have plenty and found a tree that was damaged at the top from the loggers felling an adjacent tree.  I cut out a 7 foot length of the trunk thats about 12" in diameter.  Its straight and clear of knots.  I painted the raw cut ends and I am sure its gonna be a fun time splitting the thing into staves.  

Looking for some guidance to make sure I dont foul things up too bad.  This is gonna be a winter project.

[Pat B]

It makes it a lot easier if you wait until the growing season before cutting any whitewoods. Then you can peel the bark off to expose the back ring for your bow. It can be done now but it is a lot of work getting th bark off without damaging the back ring.

[RAU]

I'd split it at my earliest convenience and reduce 1 or 2 to start them drying. I never split white oak into staves but I really doubt it will be any trouble at all as long as you have a hatchet to start your split, a sledge, and a pair of wedges to leap frog down the log.

[Valkyrie]

Thanks gents, I have the wedges and gear to split it.  I understand the spring would have made the debarking easier but I wanted to work on this over the winter.  I will just take my time.

[Black Mockingbird]

Its not too big a deal if your skilled with hand tools...I take the rough exterior bark off with a drawknife and a little bit of the inner bark too(cambium ..if its thick),and then use a scraper to scrape the rest of the cambium off...be careful around any knots or raised areas ... and you'll know when you hit wood as it will have a different feel(harder)

[Valkyrie]

BM. I am pretty handy.  Just going a million miles per hour thinking over what I want to build.  I have several ideas in my mind so I think I have enough wood to work with.  Im trying to go slow, I have an ash stave I am working on that is roughed out and just letting it dry for a few weeks.  I have a variety of hardwoods available, mostly cherry, read and white oak, ash and maple, though there is a bunch of others too.

[George Tsoukalas]

Split it into staves. Remove the bark with a drawknife. No need to wait.  I get close to the sapwood and then use a scraper. Take your time. Jawge

[Valkyrie]

George, thanks!  I have a ton of ideas and cant wait to get at it.  Just spent a week archery hunting deer so have to catch up at home.  I have a few projects going on, one is my dad's old belt sander.  Its a 50's vintage Craftsman 6x48" stand alone model.  I restored it just have to assemble and wire the new motor.  Big heavy cast iron thing, sure don't make them like this now.  I have a .308 M700 Remington that I'm making into an M24 clone, my tractor needs some work on the PTO and I'm putting an electronic ignition it there too, I'm taking two online college courses and I am hoping to make up for a lousy archery season in a few weeks with the rifle.  If that doesn't work out, the late season might.  Lots to dom lol!