Black locust staves at coop

[chesjen]

Was getting some seed potatoes and onion sets the other day and saw they have stackes of "posts", split locust seven feet long, looks like there are checks in the end but i could remove eight inches from both ends and still have enough length to make what i want. They were three fifty a piece. looked like a stack of staves in my eyes, and the price is hard to beat with a stick knowing i aint got to go cutt down a tree, cutt off branches and then split out the staves, all i got to do is look them over, cutt em down, take em to a ring and seal em. Bark and sapwood was still on them they looked fairly green?

What do yall think, worth a shot, only out three fifty if they aint no count? Anybody ever tried any of these?

[TRACY]

Yeah, I use to know a guy that cut them and split them for rail fences. If you can get past the checking on the ends it should work and if the borers have not gotten to them yet. Worth a try.

[Pat B]

Some of my first bows were built(attempted  ) with split locust fence rails I bought locally. You will have to pick through the pile but they should work fine. At 7' you can cut off the checked ends and still have enough. Where else can you get a bow stave for $3.50.
   Be sure to put the stack back as neat as you found them.

[chesjen]

Thanks, I will give it a shot, why not. I think i was just wanting someone to tell me no cause i dont have much luck with bl, i cant seem to get past all the fretting, guess that tells on me that my tillering aint what it should be, thankful i am for that wonderful wood osage.

I'll be sure to put the stack back neat like they got it, they did sell me five dibs last year "all hens" about two months later i started to see spurs on three of them, pay back time, nah they are some nice folks up there and plus i am in there all the time. Pat I aint to far from ya, they might be buying from the same source??

[Pat B]

I have terrible luck with locust too. That's why I rarely make bows with it. I know it is me!
  I used to get my fence rails from Valley Ag neat the Asheville airport or at Fletcher Feed and Seed.

[Sidewinder]

I think that 3.50 a piece is certaiinly worth a shot. Shoot if I were you I would live recklessly and buy more than one thats for sure. If nothing else it'll be good practice, but I'm giuessing you will do well with it.   Danny

[Pennhawk]

Hey chesjen. I've had good luck making BL bows keeping them under 50lbs. seems like when I go much over 50lbs. they start to frett, don't know why.  Good Luck

     Pennhawk

[chesjen]

Thanks, I think i will just shoot for around 45-50 then in d bow, think i just saw a nice looking one on another thread.

[Pat B]

Alan makes beautiful locust bows and D bows seem to be his specialty.

[Woodland Roamer]

Sounds like you have enough length there to make a stiff handle bow too if you want chesjen. Just get it bending right out of the fades and let most of the limb work. I have one stiff handle locust bow that is two years old now and pulls 56 @ 26 and still shoots great.

Alan

[Hillbilly]

Fence stakes are just bow staves that got lost and confused on their way to your workshop.  It's up to you to cull them out of the herd and turn them back in the right direction. Many of them will be big enough to get a couple of staves from. I used to split and sell locust stakes and fence rails, lots of work for not a lot of money; but it keeps you in shape. A sledgehammer and wedges are better than an ab lounger.