The Floater

[Aries]

On a recent golf car ride along a road near lake texhoma i came across a log that had not to long ago floated ashore during the lakes massive flooding.  As i creeped up to the log i examined what was left of its bark and a growing susption lumed in me until i realised what i had before me.  Well it turned out to be a slightly bug infested log of osage orange roughly ten inches across and 6'1/2 foot tall. I rolled the log over onto the front of the cart and started the slow, mile long ride back home. About thirty minutes later I was home and examining my prize, I quickly split it to reveal that Beautiful orange. The pith of the log had roted out wlong with most of the bark, it is heavily split on the ends up to about three in. in to the wood. But other than that it was a winning prize by any means. Thanks for lookin, can't help but brag sometimes    Ty

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[mullet]

  Looks like the first piece of Osage I got to try.It was about a hundred year old fence post.

[Aries]

Ya you cant help but love free wood  , where i am from there is Osage EVERYWHERE, so i really don't think i will ever really have to buy any wood, other than for experiments of course. From what wood i have used, i think Osage is the funest cause there is always a different challenge with each piece.   Ty

[FlintWalker]

Logs lke that are a lot of work. Sometimes they are checked 3 or 4" deep and in all the wrong places.  I just finished a bow from a dead osage that I had been walking past for at least 10 years. For years I didn't even know it was an osage, all the bark was gone and most of the sapwood had rotted off. It was riddled with worm holes and checked very badly.  I got a log about 10" in dia. from it and when all was said and done, one very crooked, but usable stave.  It was a lot of work, but worth it.  I hope you find a bow in it.