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Author Topic: How far is best to split logs down?  (Read 4496 times)

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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2014, 08:53:09 am »
Interesting.  the first log section split straight. 

The 2nd one not so much.  I've got almost a quarter twist in the log.  I'm thinking I need
to just saw that one.  Or is it fine to split twisted staves out of then steam them straight when building the bows.

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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #16 on: August 02, 2014, 10:07:15 am »
"I never put wood with bark indoors on my stash pile."

I don't either, even osage.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #17 on: August 02, 2014, 10:26:13 am »
Split and straitened!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #18 on: August 02, 2014, 10:46:23 am »
If it split twisted it was growing twisted. Splitting generally follows the grain.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #19 on: August 02, 2014, 01:18:42 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on August 02, 2014, 10:46:23 am
If it split twisted it was growing twisted. Splitting generally follows the grain.

Right..... but at this point what will give the best useable yield?  resawing or continued splitting?

Is that too much twist to remove from the staves?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #20 on: August 02, 2014, 01:42:34 pm »
If you saw out a board what will the grain look like? will there be run offs?  I there isn't too much twist you might be able to work it out with heat or tiller it out as you build the bow.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #21 on: August 02, 2014, 09:43:06 pm »
Any run outs would be long and shallow. 
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #22 on: August 05, 2014, 11:43:15 am »
Jeeminy christmas, I've got all the large logs quartered.  I was going to resaw at least one becasue I like the board bow process but I keep getting pulled onto other things.

The bark was falling off on its own but the wood looks good still.  Actually the trunk may still be alive.  As I cut sections getting toward teh roots, 1/2 of which are in the ground still I found a few live shoots.

I've got the ends painted and bark off. 
Will the sap wood come off fairly easily by splitting it with a draw knife or am I going to need to just seal it?  I don't think I'll have time to actuall de-sap wood all of this.

The stuff that I know is mullberry, that bark is on tight.  Will need to be draw kniffed off.

Back to 10 hour days 5 days a week at work plus family/home duties so i'm working at a snails pace now.  I'm happy to get an hour or 2 to work on breaking this wood down for drying and storage.
 
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #23 on: August 05, 2014, 04:20:46 pm »
I always peel the bark off as soon as possible when I cut a fresh log.  Then split and quarter the log immediately.  Then seal the ends and make a rough bow blank out of one of the quarters.  I seal the backs if they are less than 3 inches wide.  If the bow blank is drying fine after a couple weeks, I trim the other pieces down as much as time allows and clamp them to 2x4's if they are warping.

I've got some staves with the bark on in my shop but I received those in trades.  I always immediately peel the ones I harvest myself.
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #24 on: August 06, 2014, 01:11:34 pm »
Quote from: jackcrafty on August 05, 2014, 04:20:46 pm
I always peel the bark off as soon as possible when I cut a fresh log.  Then split and quarter the log immediately.  Then seal the ends and make a rough bow blank out of one of the quarters.  I seal the backs if they are less than 3 inches wide.  If the bow blank is drying fine after a couple weeks, I trim the other pieces down as much as time allows and clamp them to 2x4's if they are warping.

I've got some staves with the bark on in my shop but I received those in trades.  I always immediately peel the ones I harvest myself.

What about the sap wood?  That is a tall order to get the sap wood off all this.

So you break some of it down into stave-ish sized pieces?
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #25 on: August 06, 2014, 03:48:11 pm »
I don't remove the sapwood until it's dry, if at all.  Osage, of course, needs the sapwood removed because of its weakness (at least in my area).  But on osage, I usually wait until it's dry as well.

Yes, I break one down from each log and floor tiller it the same day.  It takes me less than an hour to do this, not counting the time it takes to transport and split the original log.
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Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #26 on: August 06, 2014, 06:06:50 pm »
Awesome.. so I'll leave the sap wood on after bark is peeled and any signs of bug holes are delat with (paint thinner seems to get them running), not that i've seen any in this wood yet.


I'm feeling a little less than confidant about matching up billet halves.  I guess you'll just break them down to rough size then carve or mill them to match each other in size etc after dealing with the growth ring thing.
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #27 on: August 06, 2014, 08:04:21 pm »
You appear to be getting some bad advice here. I have cut hundreds of osage staves and learned the hard way, DON'T PEAL OFF THE BARK WITHOUT REMOVING THE SAPWOOD! You may live in a cooler, damp area where you can get away with just removing the bark and sealing the sapwood.

Where I live no amount of sealer will keep sapwood from cracking, deep cracks, often through the heartwood.
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: How far is best to split logs down?
« Reply #28 on: August 07, 2014, 12:11:08 am »
Bark was falling off on its own.
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