almost have it split !

[catfishon]

thanks El Destructo!
i was going to just settle for 1 bow out of the snaky piece i had but now i may just get two of' em!
the piece i debarked is thinner than the othe half ,but still well over an inch thick.
took me about 2hrs to split it so far but i only have 1 more to go! after getting the snake piece split i was so excited i had to stop and get the bark and sapwood  off the one half
i'm hoping to make my friend jim a snake bow from that piece for helping me get the wood.
only one of the logs had any twist in them so far andi think it will also make some good bows.

[El Destructo]

Looks good....plus it looks like several of the can be split again....and you can get even more Bows from this Haul....you are in Hedge Heaven!!!!

[bowmunky13]

will work for staves

[Hrothgar]

Nice haul!

[Keenan]

If there was a drool button I'd have to hit it about a dozen times on that last pic

[tom sawyer]

You done good Catfish.  Looks like a better than average pile of staves there.  We've been getting one twisty for every straight one here lately.

Now to get the bark and sapwood off those suckers before the wood wasps find out where the pile is.  They'll be showing up around the end of May, get hopping!  I got most of mine skinned, sealed and stored in the garage.  Just a small pile left to process.  Doing a couple a day, every day, is the way to approach a job that big.

[sailordad]

you could send me a couple and i'll get the bark and sapwod off and get'em drying

[catfishon]

after i split it i moved it into garage with bark on , shouldnt it be ok like that ?

[cowboy]

Nice haul!! I think them bugs will find it no matter where it gets stored - cept maybe in the house. I would think if you got em all peeled and sealed within the next couple of months their won't be anything much deeper than the first few rings of sapwood. That's been my experience anyway ..

[tom sawyer]

It might be OK, but sometimes the bark already has larvae in it so to be on the safe side I remove the bark.  I've had wasps show up in the basement before, not a nice surprise.  The wood will dry much faster too.

[Eric Krewson]

If you take the bark off you need to remove the sapwood as well. Sapwood dries much quicker than heart wood and will check deeply into your stave. 4 coats of shellac on the sapwood might prevent checking but it has been my experience that some wood with the sapwood left on will check on the back now matter what you do. Best to remove it, you will thank yourself after the staves cure. Bark and sapwood come off pretty easily on a green stave. You are looking at some serious work getting it off after the stave cures, especially if the sapwood is thick. 

[Postman]

Awesome haul.

[Pat B]

The bugs are already in the bark as eggs, I believe. When they hatch they start chewing.     
   Nice haul. You have your work set out for yourself. It will keep you out of trouble...for a while.          Pat

[El Destructo]

Well.....Pat and them can get mad at Me ...but all of that Honey Locust I cut and Split....I soaked it with Volk Oil....and put it up with the Bark on all but 4 Staves....at least I didnt use DDT or Dursban on it...........