It's been awhile, and I'm back with ?s...

[kmc06005]

Hey guys,

I used to hang out here a lot a couple years ago, and then I had a half dozen BBIs explode in my face because I was tillering them like a straight bow, but gluing them up with some crazy R/D.

I do have some successful backed bows under my belt, and I'm actually working on one now, but about 3 years ago I cherry picked some hardwood logs from deer camp after the skidders came through. I sealed the ends with some generic spray paint and they've been leaned up in the corner since then. FYI, they are all around 4-6" in diameter.

Now to my questions:

1. Can I still turn them into a bow or two?

2. If so, how do I turn logs into staves?
---I've found a ton of buildalongs from staves, but can't seem to find one that shows the best way to split the log into staves.


Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Echatham]

hoping somebody comes on here with an "easy" way... cause my way sucks!  i use an ax and wedges and a sledge hammer. get it started splitting at one end with an ax... then drive wedges in to carry the split to the other end.  what kind of wood us it.  hickory is kind of a pain cause the grain interlocks and its so stringy.  i have to go back through with a hatchet to get all the fibers that hold the haves together.  the worst part is after a couple hours of sweating and grunting and cussing.... all your staves will have massive propeller twist.... and be unusable. at least that's how it goes with me.

[kmc06005]

I've got hickory, pecan, and maple.

[Bowjunkie]

If they were stored properly they should be ok, although, i like to split all my logs soon after bringing them home to get them drying, keep them from deteriorating, and keep bugs from wanting them.

I generally just go at them with wedges a sledge and a hatchet to chop the stringers, but if the situation allows, I've been known to run a kerf down some straight-grained logs to better facilitate a predictable split.

4-6" logs aren't very big and you'll need accurate splits to make the most of the wood. Perhaps in this case, better options than outright splitting with sledge and wedges, assuming it's straight-grained, is to chalk a line and either kerf every split with a circular saw 1" deep, or just run it through a suitable sized bandsaw, cutting it into quarters.

Be VERY careful kerfing logs with a circular saw... hold on tight with both hands because it WILL kick back once in a while.