How can you tell when a stave is dry?

[BHTGdogs]

I cut some honey locust mulberry and osage. And would like to know how to tell if it is dry enough to work.

[smilinicon]

a moisture meter is usually used.

Remember: "green wood will break your heart".

Cary

[Walt Francis]

Reduce it to rough shape, seal the ends, sides, and back, weigh it, then keep it in a hot box until it stops loosing weight.  When the weight stops decreasing the moisture content should be low enough to make a bow.  Get Dean Torges book, Hunting the Osage Bow, and there are excellent step by step instructions in it.

[John Scifres]

Dry wood springs back to shape after bending.  Wet wood creeps backs.

Dry wood whispers to you "I am dry" when you scrape it.  Wet wood mumbles "I am not ready yet".

A bow blank, taken down to near bow dimensions and thinned to less than 5/8" will be dry in a month.  "Dry" is related to the relative humidity (RH) the blank is stored in.  If you gcan find a spot that has an RH of 40% or so, you will have perfect wood in a month or two, if reduced to near bow dimensions.