Humidity and Bow wood

[TigerFan1993]

Currently, my laminations and other bow making tools are in my garage.  What would be the optimal relative humidity for storing bow laminations? I have a dehumidifier on hand that I can use to reach the ideal level.

Thanks!

[PEARL DRUMS]

As far as self bow staves and all wood laminations go, I like 35-50% and about 60-65 degrees. Makes for very healthy wood.

Hope your Tigers roll the Tide right back to Alabama....

[Bowjunkie]

I agree with Pearly. Though I won't introduce green staves into that low of r.h. until they've lost the bulk of their moisture elsewhere, more slowly.

My last shop was so air tight that if I didn't keep a dehumidifier running, mold/mildew would grow EVERYwhere.

[bowhunter15]

Thanks for the info. I have the TBB and all they say is that wood in lumber yards "reaches equilibrium" with its environment and is generally safe to use (but with what environment?). And they recommend getting a moisture meter for the wood.

Here in MN, the relative humitidy outside ranges from about the 40-80% range, though it's higher in winter (60-85% daily range). So I might get a wood moisture meter and hygrometer from Amazon and put the lams in my basement for a while once cut. Sounds like 30-40% and 60 degrees is what my basement is normally at anyways.

They say 7-12% moisture content is the sweet spot for most woods, with 5-15% being the outer limits. Is it more important to get those percentages in the wood? Or let the wood hit equilibrium in the environment it will be glued up and tillered in?

[Bowjunkie]

I let it hit equilibrium, but then bring it to, and keep it at 7-12%, depending on wood species, through any gluing, flexing, tillering, up until the finish is applied.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I'm much less scientific, I wont lie. If the stave is 8 months old, or older I simply rough a bow out and sit it on my furnace register for a few weeks. Either air conditioning or warm air flows over it, both will knock moisture right out in a hurry if you couple that with room humidity in the 45-55% range. What is the moisture content? You got me, but my bows take little set so something is working.

[Bowjunkie]

Either my a/c or furnace running keeps the rooms in the house where I store bows and sometimes staves right around 30% relative humidity. That'll dry them every bit as good as my drying box.

The only wood I worry about getting too dry is yew, I had one explode because I overdried it. So I'm a little more careful with it than everything else.

[beachbowhunter]

Originally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
As far as self bow staves and all wood laminations go, I like 35-50% and about 60-65 degrees. Makes for very healthy wood.

Hey, you just described standard conditions here in San Diego!  Looks like I'll be safe...  

[George Tsoukalas]

Bow staves are in my house or in my shed.
I choose one and start roughing it out.

Then, I start using my moisture meter.
When I get a reading I don't like, I stop and let it dry.

I keep using it right to close to full draw.
I like  6-8% for hickory and 8-10% for everything else.

Finished bows stay in heat or AC.

Jawge