Osage log

[Bowsage]

New to this site and I have never made a bow.I have a fresh osage log 60 inches and about 8-10 inches in diameter. Would like to know the next few steps while I am waiting for video and books. Thanks for any initial details that would be helpful!!

[DCM]

Coat the ends with something to seal them, paint, wax, shellac, etc.

Find it's natural fault and half it along that line with wedges, cutting connecting strings as you go and leading the split in the most advantagous way.  Then half the quarters, this time being more careful to ensure each side has enough width for a bow stave.  Take some pictures and post them, particularly of the end grain.  Then we can talk about taking off the sapwood to a single, suitable, heartwood ring.

[richpierce]

It is important to not try to split with conventional wedges alone.  They are too thick and not sharp enough and will bounce out when struck.  I use 2 polled hatchets, an extra wide masonry chisel, and up to 5 wedges to split a log.   I start the split with a polled hatchet, which is very sharp, pounded into a natural crack in the end of the log, radially, covering from the center of the log to the edge.  If the crack started in the end of the log crosses the midline of the face so the log will be halved, then I insert a real wedge in the crack running down the top of the log and get that started.  Pound that in, expand and lengthen the crack, move down, insert another, etc.  I usually debark to see how the split is running.

If the initial split at the end of the log does not cross the midline to the other side so the log will be halved, I stop and pound in another polled hatchet or a masonry chisel across the midline to force the log to split in half.  If you do not do this, the splits may run willy-nilly and you may delaminate some of the log, busting it along growth rings instead of radially.

As I go along I can tell whether the log has wicked interlocked grain or not. If it does, these will cross the split and have to be carefully chopped out with a hatchet or cleaver.

With a log a foot in diameter it is possible to get 3 staves from some of the quarters.  Take the pie shaped face and look for how deep the sapwood runs and allow a good 2 and a half inches under that.  Then pick a growth ring you want to split on and tackle it with small masonry chisels, say 2" wide, following the curve.  Pound them in equally (play eeny meeny miney moe on them) and hopefully the stave will start to "piggyback" and split roght down a growth ring.  This will have to be done slowly and insert more sharp wedges along the split on both sides to insure it stays on that ring or close to it.  Once you pop off a successful piggyback you'll be hungry for more, bacause that stave has no sapwood to remove and is pretty much already down to one ring.

[RidgeRunner]

Hay Bowsage:
Welcome to the Playhouse.

All good advice above.

Where abouts are you from?
We might be able to find you a bit of help.

Thanks
David

[tom sawyer]

I agree about starting a split with a hatchet, I always do that and it is much easier to get one started with a thin wedge like that.  After that, I use conventional wedges although I have several that are fairly thin.  I don't try and jump too far out into the split, so I am never forcing the wood open at too hard an angle.  And give each split a little time to open up good, you wait until you don't hear too much cracking and then drive in the next wedge.  I don't usually cut the stringy stuff before the split is mostly done, simply because its tough to get to the stuff before then.

I seal ends with shelac, and I try and remove bark and sapwood ASAP because I've had wood check under the bark near the ends, even with ends sealed.  Plus I'd never store wood with bark on in my longterm storage because I've had insects (wood wasps and some sort of big flies) hatch out on a few occasions and I wouldn't want them attacking my stash.   

Sounds like you have the perfect size log, that is my favorite diameter.  Generally good growth rings and less damage or rot than you might see in an older log, yet enough wood to be above most of the knots and stuff you see in young wood.  60" is a little on the short side if you draw 28" or more, easily make a bendy handled bow for that draw though.  If you draw 27", you could probably do a stiff handle and just make sure you work back right to the fades, not wasting any usable limb length.