OLD Osage Tree (Finished billets)

[Mad Max]

Let this post stay here for a little while PLEASEEEEEEEEE
This osage has been dead for 15 years
The early and late rings look like they are mixed together
I can't figure out the rings, it looks like about every 10 years it had good rain
The rings by the pencil are about 3/8" wide and there is about 8 to 15 rings in between
Can this tree be 400 or 500 years old???





This is the little section just to the right of the 6th step on the ladder



There is 4 trees in the same hole and barb wire running threw it


If it is 8 to 15 rings between you tell me how old

[Jim Davis]

I think those narrow rings are what some people call moon rings. They  happened  within each of the annual  growth rings.

Looks like the tree had good summer growth for a long time.

Jim Davis

[Mad Max]

If that's true the growth rings are 1/4 to 1/2"
Tell me more about moon rings?

[Jim Davis]

Well, they have nothing to do with the moon, but they just show variations in the growth that can be caused by varying water supply, or temperature. The good thing is, you don't have to chase a "moon" ring!

Jim

[Pat B]

The lunar rings are part of the annual ring growth I think. A cycle within a cycle.     They are in all annual rings but are more obvious in thicker rings and in woods like osage, locust, mulberry, etc.. It is the annual rings that we as bowyers are more concerned with. Getting a good, blemish free annual ring for the back of your bow will aid in your success.

[ohma2]

So what did you get out of it ?was there a good log ? Might be able to get some billets there to , use all you can that old tree deserves to live on in some bows.

[Osage Mark]

So what did you get out of it ?was there a good log ? Might be able to get some billets there to , use all you can that old tree deserves to live on in some bows.

I am on my buddy,S  I PAD
ALL I DID WAS CUT AND SEAL THAT ONE CUT SO FAR, I AM GOING TO GET SOME STAVES OUT OF IT

[Eric Krewson]

I counted the growth rings the best as I could and it looks like your trees is between 65 and 70 years old.

[Osage Mark]

it's old
i am going to try to get some staves out of it and some billets
I did not know the rings could get that big on osage

[Carson (CMB)]

Well, they have nothing to do with the moon, but they just show variations in the growth that can be caused by varying water supply, or temperature. The good thing is, you don't have to chase a "moon" ring!

Jim

I wouldn't be so sure that the moon rings have nothing to do with the moon.  Look at the periodicity of these rings, looks very evenly spaced and very reliably 7 - 9 rings within each annual growth rings, which is about the number of months in the growing season. 

Nice osage find.  Looks like good wood. 

[osage outlaw]

Those are nice thick growth rings on that tree.  Osage trees can sure have a lot of character.   I hope you can get some good staves out of it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

We put this question to Howard Griffiths, at the department of Plant Sciences, Cambridge University.

When I was first thrown this question about the role of moonlight in photosynthesis my initial response was not a chance! Because the light intensity that we get reflected off the moon is an order of 100-1000 times too little to support photosynthesis in most terrestrial pot plants and plants we have in our garden. However, I did a little bit of digging around and I looked at some latest analysis of photosynthesis rates in algae. Amazingly enough it does seem that some groups of very small phytoplankton might be able to photosynthesise using the light from the moon provided that it was in the tropics and provided that at wasn’t being attenuated by a water column which tends to absorb light exponentially. So the answer is still probably no because, obviously phytoplankton grow in a water column so they’re not really likely to be able to pick up the light intensity.

However, it also opens up a number of intriguing questions because plants do certainly try to avoid the light from the moon. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the folding of leaves that we see in the clover growing in your lawns and lots of plants in the garden fold up their leaves at night. Darwin was interested in this and thought that it was to do with the leaves trying to maintain their heat balance at night. What we think is happening now is that the leaves are trying to avoid moonlight so as to prevent their circadian rhythms being disrupted by those very light intensities because they certainly do respond to moonlight. In fact, it’s now known that lots of animals – animals as diverse as snakes and crocodiles and a whole array of plants and different systems including humans – are highly sensitive to moonlight and the way that it can interrupt our circadian control and our sensing of day length.

[Mad Max]

Pearl
when you look at the back of a osage BOW you can see the grain ( 2 different colors)
That is what  i am seeing between these growth rings ( the different colors)

These rings being that thick,  is that a good thing??

[osage outlaw]

Thick rings like that are good.  Some people like thinner rings.  The ratio of early/late wood is more important.  The ratio on your rings looks great to me.

[SLIMBOB]

Thick thin, it's all good.  I agree with Clint, early wood ratio is more important to me personally.  If I could put in an order for a stave type it would be an order for tight rings with an almost invisible early wood ring and absolutely no early wood showing as lunar rings.  Add a bit of a crown and finish it off with a dark reddish color.  I'm still looking for that stave.  In the mean time I'll adjust my design to the staves I have.  Thick, thin, straight, crooked, dark, light.  What you have will make some fine bows I think.