Reading my first cut for staves

[justsomedude]

I am reading the Bowyer's Bible 1 and have ordered Gary Davis' DVD

I just cut a tree (the mystery tree from my Osage? thread). It is 74" long. Fairly straight to 5' and then has bend. I carried it out of the woods immediately after cutting, then put Elmer's glue on the ends right after taking the pics.

Ash?

When splitting this, I would favor the sides with the thicker straighter rings? Looking at the bend and considering the type of wood, would I be better served to plan a shorter 5' bow? I have a son that is turning 13 soon if I need to keep the draw weight down.

[DuBois]

I was looking at your osage thread and if I were you, I would go back and investigate the wood on the ground behind you osage tree. It may be downed osage that is prime for a bow. Looks like 2 or 3 layin on the ground and you would not need much dry time to get started. If it is not osage, I would cut that farthest outshoot of osage. I didn't think you were gonna cut the ash if that's what it is.

[Jim Davis]

Your log looks like hickory to me. I'd try to get two staves that are in line with the bend--one back set and one deflexed. Then make billets of the rest.

[Del the cat]

Your log looks like hickory to me. I'd try to get two staves that are in line with the bend--one back set and one deflexed. Then make billets of the rest.

+1
Del

[justsomedude]

I was looking at your osage thread and if I were you, I would go back and investigate the wood on the ground behind you osage tree. It may be downed osage that is prime for a bow. Looks like 2 or 3 layin on the ground and you would not need much dry time to get started. If it is not osage, I would cut that farthest outshoot of osage. I didn't think you were gonna cut the ash if that's what it is.

Will do. There are trees that grew right on the ground coming out the Osage clump

[BowEd]

To me that's ash by the bark and the wood.Depending on how big your log is as to how many staves you get.Looks pretty decent really.

[justsomedude]

Oops...forgot to mention the size.
It is 5" at the bottom and 4" at the top.

To me that's ash by the bark and the wood.Depending on how big your log is as to how many staves you get.Looks pretty decent really.

[BowEd]

With a little luck 3 staves maybe if it splits straight enough without any twist at all,but 2 for sure in my world here and more than likely.You got plenty of length to adjust too.Nice log.

[John Scifres]

I'd go for quarters.

[justsomedude]

The ends of the branches are symmetrical like this

[osage outlaw]

Sometimes small diameter trees like that do not split even and run out on one end.  Good luck with it and post pictures of what you get from it.

[Jim Davis]

Tree folks call that branch arrangement "opposite." If nearly all the twigs on the branches are that way, then yes, probably an ash.

That said, was that tree alive? The rings near the bark don't look like recently alive sapwood. Just tossing a wet blanket out there... something to look into before getting  hopes too high.

Jim

[justsomedude]

Yes. The trees nearby that I know to be Hickory were alternating instead of opposite.
The ends of the branches at the top (about 30') were still green and pliable