Bench and box

[Nim-rod]

Last week built this shave horse in 2 hours using a couple pics of other peoples horses and using ideas from all to make one i liked. It's very long and the seat slides back and forth riding in the slot of the frame. Need to extend the foot lever a bit and work on the wedge some but I love it! Pressure treated wood so I can leave it outside too!
THe box I made yesterday in about an hour and a half from 5/16 chipboard and 1" insulated board with a shiny side. Made a two tear shelf to hold several staves at once with room for air to circulate. 3 x 100 watt bulbs on a dimmer to control temps. I have a meat thermometer that I put through the top but it was too close to the bulbs for accuracy so it's laying in the bottom now and only reading max 135 degrees. Maybe 150 watt bulbs in the future.
Gearing up for some bow building!
 
 
 

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Be careful if you put green wood in that hot box, too much heat too soon will cause lots of splits and checks. I nearly ruined some at only 110 deg.F which was evidently too much. Start at 80-90 deg. for a few weeks and see how the wood reacts, then gradually turn up the temp a little at a time while checking it often, like everyday and look the staves over real good to make sure your not over doing it.

Osage especially doesn't like much heat too soon.

Nice carpentry job on your horse and box!

[matts2]

That all looks great.

To reflect on Semo's comments on the green wood.  If you want to use that to dry out wood, you will need air flow.  Go to radio shack and pick up a decent computer fan that is 110v.  Cut a hole and mount it on one end of the  box and cut another hole on the other side.  Then use one light bulb as like Semo said, too much heat is no good in most cases.  One of those bulbs with a little air flow from one of those fans will dry out your wood in no time.  I don't know if that is what you are doing, just mentioning it because Semo did first.

[Nim-rod]

Thanks for the info. I was planning to put a fan in as you mentioned. I have the end near the lid open for 1 1/2" for that reason. I wan't to make a slider thing to regulate the opening and put the fan at the bottom opposite side maybe in front of a small 1" hole for a little bit of intake. Sound like a good idea so far?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

That small fan is what I've got in mine from an old computer that I scrapped out. It's a 12v. fan so I had to use a small power supply, but same basic thing. I also started out with 3 bulbs, then dropped down to 2 with a lower wattage. Those 3- 100w bulbs are capable of pushing my temp upwards of 150 deg.F which is way, way, too much! Slow and easy is the key I believe.

I'll pass along some advice from another member who uses a hot box for his Osage staves.
He said 80deg. for 2-3 weeks, then 90deg. for 2-3 weeks, after that your on your own.
Course if the outside temp is over 80deg. then you would need it a few deg. warmer possibly?

I'd just try 1 stave first to see how it reacts, then add more when you get the process perfected. That way you don't over cook all your staves at once.

[Nim-rod]

I like your idea about the 12v fan. Should save on electricity running it all the time.

[Mark Smeltzer]

Just to add to putting green wood in the hot box. It's a great time to add reflex in green roughed out bow the warm green wood bends very easy. I make sure the whole bow is sealed with some thing, shelac or tru oil or whatever you have.

[Nim-rod]

I actually have a piece of ash in there right now tied to a form to reflex it. When it is a bit dryer I'll rough it out more and then I will flip the tips. Do I need to seal the WHOLE thing? Right now I have just the ends sealed with TBIII

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I've never used ash so I can't say how it reacts to heat or how it will hold up with Tite Bond as a sealer, but I would never use it on osage.
I use Min Wax Helmsmans Spar Urethane, it's been the best sealer I've found so far because it's thicker.
If it's still fairly green I would just seal the back and ends, then leave a portion of the belly open for moisture to escape. I dried an osage stave in the rafters of my garage that way and it dried perfectly with no checks, splits, or cracks.