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Offline k-hat

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osage branches??
« on: January 29, 2013, 09:49:28 am »
i've got some 4inch diameter osage branches i cut from a monster tree that fell a couple years ago.  One of the branches has done this after splitting in half:  one side reflexed and one side deflexed.  I don't remember which was top or bottom, though i suspect that the reflexed side would have been the top.   Will the deflexed one make a decent stave even with the back the more compressiony side?  thought about making it a r/d profile.   Or should i make a backwards bow like i saw someone here or on TG do?
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Offline Weylin

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2013, 11:45:47 am »
If you're trying to tell which is which, often the heart of the branch is noticeably oriented towards the top of the branch because of all the compression wood it had to build to support the weight. If they were mine, I'd build a bow from both and do a D/R with the deflexed stave. Good luck.
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Offline burn em up chuck

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2013, 11:57:24 am »
        2 things I've done w/such pieces,its obvious what to do w/reflexed piece. 1st flip tips on deflexed,I did this w/a piece of yew man what shooter. 2nd bamboo back it so it continues to function as it did in life.
        just my 2 cents ;) but I'm looking forward to hearing others ideas, I just like keeping things simple O:).

                                                                                                     
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Offline Pappy

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2013, 12:15:36 pm »
If you have enough heart wood you can split and do as the others have said,one regular and R/D bow.If not you can make one with the sap wood on,which I never do but know lot that have or backwards with the bark side to the belly,it's like a de crowned stave.  :)  Here is a pair made backwards,note the bark on the handle belly side.Lot of options.  :)
   Pappy
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2013, 12:21:33 pm »
thanks for the input weylin, evldwrf, pappy.

Pappy, given the type of stave i'm working with (compression layers on outside) which would perform better... the backwards (which will have reflex) or the r/d, given that the r/d (i know on a regular stave, r/d is obviously better)??
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Offline Sasquatch

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2013, 12:41:42 pm »
If you make a backwards bow with the deflexed stave, you could trap the belly because it will be very compression strong.  This will save mass in limbs and could increase performance.
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Offline Tom Leemans

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2013, 02:02:25 pm »
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2013, 04:34:58 pm »
Good thinking Sasquatch, if i go for it i'll keep that in mind.

Tom, thanks for the link, i had read this before and forgot where i saw it. 

I wonder just how much it will suffer being high in compression wood and constructing it with the inner rings the back as a decrowned stave.  Maybe if i do that i should treat it more like yew?
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2013, 12:39:29 am »
Ok, so after thinking about it a little more, I think this stave will get the backward treatment.  I'll "decrown" from the center till the rings are parallel down the stave, then lay out my profile and take advantage of the higher than normal compression strength and give it a D shaped belly (or trapped as sasquatch recommended).  still not sure if i should go wider than normal osage or make it more like a narrow yew bow.  Hmmm....  It'll have quite a bit of reflex, so i'm thinking that combined with strong compression = long and narrow.   

On the right track?
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Offline Pappy

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2013, 07:21:59 am »
Sounds like the right track to me,I would go 1 3/8 or so on the width to mid lim and tapper to the tips.  :) Love to see some pictures of the staves. :)
   Pappy
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2013, 08:32:34 am »
Thanks pappy.  Here's some of the staves.  The one i have in mind is the one on the right (didn't have as much deflex as i remembered).  The two on the left are from the top (left) and bottom (right) of the same branch:



The on on the far right seems a little more tame!  The reflexed stave sounds like it'll make an awesome bow, but i don't feel like dealing with that huge kink right now ;)
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Offline Pappy

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2013, 09:24:27 am »
Good looking staves,look clean and that is important,how are the rings ?
   Pappy
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2013, 10:56:50 am »
thats the weird thing... all of them have the rings relatively round and getting progressively thinner as you go toward the bark.  Some are very thin on the bark side (between 1/16" and 1/32").  I expected the deflexed ones to be the other way around.  This tree was cut after we had experienced a few years of drought, though, and i expect some drainage construction had severely reduced the water supply for this tree where the thicker rings end (it was on the bank of a creek, but it appears the construction re-routing dried the creek up more than normal. 
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Offline Pappy

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2013, 11:12:15 am »
Well if you do a backwards bow that shouldn't really matter. :)
   Pappy
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Offline k-hat

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Re: osage branches??
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2013, 11:24:55 am »
Yesir that's what i was thinkin too :)
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