To split or not to split...

[Cloudfeather]

I have this Osage stave that is a little over 70" long, 4 inches wide down to 3 1/2 inches wide. About 3 inches thick at one end and a little over 2 inches thick at the narrower end. I'm pretty sure I can get two staves big enough for hunting bows from it. Should I chance it or just go for one bow from it? If I recall correctly, the log that this stave came from split very easily and right down the line where I was splitting it. Thoughts?

[hunterbob]

I would split it starting at the small end .

[jeffp51]

I say go for it.  I got some good advice on how a few weeks ago.  it really helped.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,52655.msg714031.html#msg714031

[sleek]

Thats not even a question for me. It would already have been split. START AT THE SMALL END ALWAYS!

[Cloudfeather]

Tried to split it, was unsuccessful. Silver lining: It ended up splitting off about a third of the width of the stave and saved me a lot of draw knife work.

[Aries]

I'd use my band saw and follow a drawn centerline that follows the grain.

[Eric Krewson]

This is after the fact but I would have core split a stave off the belly then drawn a line following the grain down the center of the stave and cut it on a band saw, Vola, three staves.

[Pappy]

Same as Eric. O well at least you got one out of it and that's better than the out come could have been. Looks like a nice piece of wood.

[Badger]

  I have had good luck splitting osage staves. Anything over about 3 1/4" I will usually split. Once in a while it doesn't work out as planned but I still end up with one good one even when that happens. Anything besides osage I saw. On the belly splits I have a lower success ratio in getting 2 good ones but it still saves some draw knife work.

[Cloudfeather]

The narrow end was only about 2 inches thick, that's the only reason I didn't try to get a belly split off of it. No band saw, otherwise I'd have done it up proper.

[RAU]

Oh well atleast you got 1 nice piece of wood out of the deal as said above could have been worse. Its amazing how acurately you can pop a belly split off a big osage stave like that once you've seen someone do it or done it your self. I usually clean up sides a bit so i can follow the ring i want the split to pop at and then using every single flat wedge shaped tool i have or can make i start tapping them in at that ring all around the stave and after a little work they just pop right off usually without any issues. Something to try on your next big stave.

[Badger]

  I made myself a box full of mini splitters for belly splits. 1/2" wide by 1/8" thick and about 4" long. I just ground a wedge on the ends and it works pretty good for accurate belly splits.

[Eric Krewson]

I have posted this picture before; I do a lot of billet splicing and save the wedges for belly splitting.