« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Osage Seasoning  (Read 1382 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Soggydog

  • Member
  • Posts: 14
Osage Seasoning
« on: January 11, 2018, 11:32:23 am »
Hello! My name is Shane, I've been lurking on these boards a while, and while I got "the bug" a few months ago, this is my first post.

My grandfather and I went down to the family farm yesterday and decided to harvest some osage, and while I think it's possible to get some workable staves out of our haul, I'm not entirely sure how to go about seasoning them. As such, I have a few questions:

1. Does the osage need to be split? Or is it okay to leave it together for the meantime?

2. The timber is currently sitting in my heated basement, is this a wise place to keep it, or will it dry to fast here?

3. Do I need to use some sort of sealant, and, if so, what kind?

Thanks for the help!
Logged

Offline osage outlaw

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,962
Re: Osage Seasoning
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2018, 12:19:02 pm »
Seal the ends with a couple coats of wood glue, paint, shellac, polyurethane,  etc.  I would suggest splitting them at least in half to give the moisture a place to escape other than the ends.   You want to slowly dry them at first to prevent cracks.   I like to split logs into quarters and let them dry in my garage for a week or so before I split them down into staves.  If you remove the bark take the sapwood off with a draw knife.  Make sure to seal the backs of the staves if you do that.  If you get any belly splits seal the backs of those also.  I have found the cheapest sealer is tight bond wood glue thinned with a little bit of water.  Post some pictures of your haul. 
Logged
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline jeffp51

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,641
Re: Osage Seasoning
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2018, 12:51:07 pm »
The best method to season staves is to send them to a nice dry climate, like Utah.  As I live in Utah, I will be happy to accept and evaluate the quality of those staves--of course the only way you can truly evaluate a stave is to make a bow out of it--which I will be forced to do as well.   O:) :BB.  It is the sacrifice I am willing to make for the good of this community. . .
Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Osage Seasoning
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2018, 02:30:12 pm »
Listen to Osage Outlaw. He had cut and split lots of osage and has the operation down pat.
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Danzn Bar

  • Member
  • Posts: 4,166
Re: Osage Seasoning
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2018, 03:48:36 pm »
What pat b said.....
DBar
Logged
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline Hamish

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,557
Re: Osage Seasoning
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2018, 04:12:52 pm »
Definitely process the logs, seal as suggested if you keep them in a heated basement.
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »