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Author Topic: Osage harvest  (Read 7644 times)

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Offline TRACY

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Osage harvest
« on: November 01, 2007, 10:45:16 pm »
Stumbled onto this massive osage that is 100+ yrs old that was cut down for a new billboard. Landowner thinks I'm nuts to split these logs into staves but said go for it with a weird chuckle.
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Offline TRACY

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2007, 10:49:07 pm »
Forgot something

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Offline TRACY

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2007, 10:52:41 pm »
and one more. I'll eventually get it right.

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Online Pat B

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2007, 11:35:54 pm »
That ought to keep you out of trouble!  ;D  The wood towards the center will probably have wind shakes(cracks and ring separation). That is common with big, old osage. You should be able to get a bunch of good wood out of it though.  Nice haul.  ;)    Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

todd robbins

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2007, 11:46:58 pm »
You could also cut up that spot where all the limbs come together and get some wood with interesting grain patterns, to make knife handles or glue on riser handles.  I'd love to try some really gnarly osage as a knife handle.

Todd
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Offline cowboy

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2007, 09:55:04 am »
Yep, nice haul!! I know that was a chore splittin that thing up :). From my recent experience the outer part of the wood will have the cleanest staves - lot's of bows in there..
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Offline Sidewinder

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2007, 12:03:43 pm »
Nice find Tracy.
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Offline TRACY

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2007, 08:17:58 pm »
Thanks and you're right about the better pieces on the outer and not inner core.
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Offline Auggie

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2007, 08:09:13 am »
You lucky dog. A loggin friend of mine told me of a giant osage on a old timers place,so I went to talk to him. He let me look but no touch. Some realitive planted it long time ago it must be 3 foot around or more strait trunk, nice limbs,shes a beauty! But the feller said only after he passes on, too much sentimental value for him. Glad I got to see it. Auggie.
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Online Pat B

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2007, 10:58:20 am »
Augie, Actually the bigger, older osage trees aren't the best choice for bow wood. There is lots of work for the amount of good bow wood you get, in most cases, and smaller(up to about 12") trees have more and better usable wood...and are easier to deal with.   Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Sidewinder

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2007, 11:52:46 am »
The more I look at those pictures the more I think it'll be a bear wrestling those staves out that ole girl. She looks thick. I can't see the base very well to see if there is any twist. I know from some of the belly splits Jeremy and I got out of that one we recently harvested that some near the confluence of other branches got a little unrully. I think I would try and find where the roots and base have transitioned and the grain movement is less and then try and pluck some out of there. How far up did she get before it started to branch out? I know with the ours I trimmed it off just below the V and then about 40" down as well for billets and even some of that was unrully: specially the belly and around hidden knots. I have never handled Osage for bow wood before and I sure have enjoyed the discovery process. I was splittin out some of the staves last night and I was starting to visualize bows in their chrysllis. Pretty neat stuff when you get into it. 
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Offline TRACY

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2007, 12:39:58 pm »
Pat you are correct about return for effort when it comes to diameter of the tree. Bigger does not mean better. The center of one log has a lot of wind shake damage. And something else Auggie is that I keep waiting to make contact with some form of metal be it fence, nails or chain etc. This tree was the center of a barnyard and it's hard to say what things have been attached to it over the years that it eventually grew around. Auggie if your in my area sometime in the near future, email me and see what's left to split, I'm getting kinda worn out.
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Online Pat B

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2007, 02:42:16 pm »
Tracy, Sometimes those "found" items in old trees can make for interesting conversation pieces. If you can work one into a bow, it would be cool...like a horse shoe coming through a limb. ::)     Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Auggie

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2007, 08:11:29 pm »
Eeyup,Ive had the hidden metal object and the chain saw ride,cant say I care for it . Could be that I had a little "gold fever" when I was lookin at that big ole tree,a feller shouldnt get greedy. My friend Koan called today and said he found some manageable size trees,maybe  he will let me in on his gold mine. This time of year  is better for splittin osage,seems like Ive done most of it  when it was 100 or so. Im gettin to want to work smarter not harder now that Im not 21 anymore.
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Online Pat B

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Re: Osage harvest
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2007, 08:36:22 pm »
Natives probably didn't use anything over 3" or 4"  for their bows. Could you imagine splitting a 36" diameter osage tree with stone tools and antler tines? ??? :o     Pat
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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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