Pith problem?

[gstoneberg]

I have a most unusual (for me) problem.  I'm building an osage bow from billets which I spliced.  It was about a 4" diameter branch which I split in half to make the 2 billets.  I noticed there was some pith in the center of the bow when I cut the splice but I didn't think anything of it.   Now I'm starting to thin the limbs and the pith is right in the fade from the handle.  I think I can thin the limb in the working section until the pith is gone, but there's nothing I can do about the fade.  Any ideas on how to make it look better?

This is my first time making a bow from a small branch.  It is a mass of pin knots going ever direction.  Be awhile before I try another small diameter piece of osage.

Thanks,
George

[sonny]

....looks like a bit of character to me.
I wouldn't worry about making it look "better"


 

[cowboy]

Looks as though it's right there at the handle and "some" of it will dissapear as you tiller and work it down. I'm no expert but looks like you might or might not be OK with that. A catch 22, hmm..

[mullet]

 Back it.

[Del the cat]

....looks like a bit of character to me.
I wouldn't worry about making it look "better"

Exactly! Scrape out any actual pith smooth and polish it like the rest of the bow, and tell everyone it's a built in ashtray.
Or even better, tell em, it's a scientifically designed parabolic depression which focuses the lines of compressive force back down the centreline of the bow for enhanced limb recovery speed .
Del

[gstoneberg]

OK thanks.  I did get a little closed minded there looking at it as a defect and not character, or a feature.   I like that idea a lot, now I can get on with it.  Thanks again.

George

[Pat B]

...and who would disagree or argue with Del's explaination? 

[Aries]

Beautifully put del, Now where is my pen and paper I need to make note of this lol

[crooketarrow]

   I also like Dels thoughts on the subject.

[Buckeye Guy]

Good job Del !! but delete the ash tray part ,wouldnt want to burn ; it up after all that work. 

[wodpow]

Is that decay that runs in the pith area? I cut a Osage once that had the whole center or core of the tree dead

[gstoneberg]

It's water damage.  This is a limb that grew into another limb and the 2 rubbed together whenever the wind blew.  Eventually it was compromised and water got down in the center of the limb all the way to where it joined the trunk.  I cut it back about a foot from the rubbed place thinking the damage would be gone by then.  Wrong.  I knew the pith was there, but I didn't realize that water damage checking would be there as well.  Here's the split limb (it was straight when I cut it).  But yes, it looks like the whole center died.  I've seen that several times in a tree trunk, but up to now never in a limb off the trunk.



George