Moisture content?

[TroutGuide]

How dry should a osage blank be before building with it and how dry is too dry.  I have a cheap moisture meter and it says my blanks are below 5%.  This seems a little low to me.  They are near bow dementions and have been standing in the corner of my office since February or so,  back and sides sealed. I am ready to start building but I dont want to if they are to dry.

[PEARL DRUMS]

8-12%. 5% is probaly too low.

[Pat B]

5% is way to dry for osage. It would be perfect for hickory but most other woods need to be between 9% and 11%.
  Are you in the dry part of TX or the humid part?

[Art B]

You should forget about that moisture meter and get yourself a temp/humidity monitor and find out what the R/H is. That will give you a TRUE reading of the moisture content of your wood. Between 40-50% R/H (equals 8-10% MC) is good for about any type wood.

Another thing, I would recommend you lay your bow blanks out horizonally for about a week or so and let the M/C equalize from end to end before starting. Standing them on theirs ends for an extended period of time can cause unequal M/C which can cause tiller shift later on.........Art

[PEARL DRUMS]

You hair splitter Artsy!.........thats good info. and something I never thought of, or read about.

[TroutGuide]

I'm near Dallas,TX.

If the wood is to dry how is the  best way to properly rehydrate it without going to far.

I will lay them out flat for a week before I start, thanks.

[Art B]

You can go ahead and get your blank shaped up to where it's bending some and then store flat in a enviroment of 40-50% R/H for about a week and from there be good to go.

Pearly, Tim Baker reported 'bout a 1% difference in R/H from end to end by storing bow wood upright. Not much you say! But that's enough to shift a bow's tiller over time by standing/storing bows upright........Art

[PEARL DRUMS]

Was that in the Performance & Design section of the TBBI Art? I have read it ten times over and dont remember him saying that, but then again most of my reading takes place in bed half asleep!

[Art B]

No, that was in a topic discussed over on Paleoplanet some years ago Pearly. He also mentioned that the 47# pecan speed demon listed in the Mojam results (TBB4) developed a tiller shift from being stored upright. Little things add up, this is just one of 'em......Art

[KellyG]

Pearls can read?      :D

[PEARL DRUMS]

My wife helps me with the big words Kelly.....please dont tell anybody.

[George Tsoukalas]

That's 5% on the surface? It is probably higher inside the stave. Keep testing as you build the bow. I like my osage at 8%. I have one and use it all the time right down to the stave's first stringing. Jawge

[frank bullitt]

Trout, have you checked any other wood with the meter? Can you verify that it is correct on the reading?  Like a scale, tare, quality check!

I don't trust any equip. man has made to be true!  :D

[TroutGuide]

I do not have a known controle to test it against but it showes differences in other woods around the house, and a watermelon is off the charts LOL.

George I will start taking some wood off next week and I am sure you will be right that the core is higher.

[Don Stokes]

If you want it to pick up a little moisture, take it outside to a protected area for a while.

Wood inside an air-conditioned house will get down to around 6%.

[Art B]

Best way that I know of to keep and maintain proper moisture content in your wood/finished bows is to get yourself a humidifier and a temp/humidity monitor. A humidifier has it's own monitor but I like to verify that with another one at all times. Keep at least one room between 40-50% R/H and a good finish on your bows to maintain that level........Art