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Author Topic: Got some 'sage to play with  (Read 1614 times)

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Offline jthompson1995

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  • Parkville, MD
Got some 'sage to play with
« on: November 15, 2009, 11:22:21 am »
I was at a friend's house and mentioned I'd love to get some osage for bow making and he mentioned he had some trees in a hedgerow at the back of his property. So a short walk and a bit of manual labor later and I brought home a 4" dia. by 6'-6" piece of 'sage.



A little work this morning and I got it split, debarked and ends and back sealed with anchorseal. Unfortunatley it split off-center so the center stave doesn't have much heartwood in it. I think I'm going to see if i can leave a ring or two of sapwood on and still get a bow from it as it's really clean, straight and knot-free. The stave on the left is pretty skinny but I think I can get an ELB style from it, not too heavy, though.



I'm really pleased with the quality of this 'sage. it's hard and heavy, a little reflex built in two staves, no twist, even 3/16" rings and good early wood/late wood ratio. pic below.



Now I just have to be patient and let it dry. Thanks to everyone on this site who posted the info on harvesting/splitting and everything else so I knew what the heck I was doing. This was my first time splitting down staves and it went easier than I thought. It may have been a different story if it was elm, though.
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A man who works with his hands is a laborer, a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman, but a man who works with his hands, his mind and his heart is an artist. - Louis Nizer (1902-1994)

Offline Pat B

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Re: Got some 'sage to play with
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2009, 11:56:37 am »
Seal the backs of those staves also ASAP or they will check in the next few days. Leave the split areas open so they can breath there.  Being that you cut that wood and know that the sapwood is not diseased, make a bow using the sapwood. I have made a few with all sapwood and a few with sap/heartwood osage bows, all with good results. By removing the sapwood on any of these staves you are potentially loosing good bow wood for the possibility of of an all heartwood bow.
  In a back issue of Primitive Archer a guy named Dane Snodgrass did an article entitled "Limb Bows" about Sonny Imens that made beautiful hunt worthy bows with 2" osage suckers. He would split them in half, remove the bark and tiller the limbs and add a short riser. I have seen a few of Sonny's bows and shot them and I would put them up against any all heartwood osage hunting bow. At 2" in diameter you don't get much heartwood.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline jthompson1995

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  • Parkville, MD
Re: Got some 'sage to play with
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2009, 12:00:39 pm »
Thanks for the info. I did seal the backs with anchorseal (I have it from harvesting bowl blanks for turning), it just may not look like it in the photos.

I'm really glad to hear I can use the sapwood, that will leave me with a lot more wood to work with.
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A man who works with his hands is a laborer, a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman, but a man who works with his hands, his mind and his heart is an artist. - Louis Nizer (1902-1994)

Offline Pat B

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Re: Got some 'sage to play with
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2009, 12:07:20 pm »
Your sapwood bows will be a bit thicker than an all heartwood bow; similar to mulberry.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC
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