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Author Topic: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)  (Read 5247 times)

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Offline lenador

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Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« on: September 28, 2014, 11:24:48 pm »
So after a good hunt I found what appears to be the most perfect section of Osage for making bows.about 75" long and 9.5" wide. I think I can get 4 staves out of it? What is a typical stave measurement?
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2014, 11:26:18 pm »
Here is the growth rings and width.

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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2014, 11:29:14 pm »
Oh and here is my first attempt at splitting staves. This was a shorter piece. About 55" long And 6" wide. I figured a good piece would make a nice set of billets. I haven't split the big beautiful straight on yet because I'm nervous to ruin it Haha. I should have them all split and seal within this week.
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2014, 11:29:34 pm »
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2014, 11:52:32 pm »
Now that is a pretty piece of osage.  Its clean, straight, and thick ringed.  Make sure you seal the ends right away if you haven't already.  If it splits clean you should get more than 4 staves out of it.  Post some pictures of it all split into staves.  Good luck with it.
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2014, 12:02:09 am »
I wanted to seal it right away but I figured I would have to split it before I sealed it. If not I'll seal it right away. It would be nice to end up with more than 4!

Yeah there was an old Osage a few feet over and it looks like a fallen fruit sprouted 4 different Osages all next to each so they went straight up battling for light. This one was the longest at 75" so we took her and left the others. I even got 5 nice walking sticks out of it.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2014, 12:28:49 am »
Seal the ends as soon as you can with several coats of poly, shellac, glue, etc.   I put the first coat on the ends before I drag them out.  When you remove the bark and sapwood seal the backs the same way.
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Offline Blacktail

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2014, 12:45:11 am »
you are a very lucky  man..that is some great wood...john
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2014, 07:52:42 am »
Okay, I'll do my best to get it all split and sealed tonight.
 Thanks!
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Offline Cloudfeather

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2014, 11:15:12 am »
That's about as clean a piece of Osage as I've seen. Should make some nice bows.
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2014, 02:50:57 pm »

Here is one of the staves I finished from my smaller practice piece. I think have the sizing down pretty good. Once I have them all split I'll seal the edges and then little bynlittle strip the bark and sap wood And seal the backs.
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Offline bentstick54

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2014, 11:07:54 pm »
Seal all the ends asap. If you don't have time to debark them you can leave the bark on indefinitely but spray the bark down with a bug spray to keep borers from attacking the staves. The bArk will act the same as sealing the raw backs to slow the moisture escaping to contr checking. I have stripped staves after 10 years stored in my basement with excellent results. By the time this old man gets done cutting, and splitting I am to tired to debark also.
Also I have never sealed the split edges, only the ends and stripped backs. Moisture has to have some way to escape.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2014, 11:17:33 pm »
Don't seal the edges. The moisture need some place to escape and the edges don't check. Just seal the ends now and the back if you remove the bark and sapwood.
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Offline lenador

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2014, 11:37:18 pm »
A little misunderstanding 🙌 I meant to say seal the ends not seal the edges. My bad.
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Offline Tyke

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Re: Harvesting my first staves (Osage)
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2014, 11:40:31 pm »
Looks awesome
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