Bought a bunch of Osage

[islandpiper]

Just got back from the hardwoods place, with a 2x10 by 10'4" Osage plank, all bark on one edge and some bark on the other, fairly clean, uniform wood overall.   I'll try to get a pic later today. 

My question is:  should i cut it in half for a bunch of 5' bows, or cut it into 6' and 4' lengths.....and then should I rip it into sticks flat-sawn or quarter-sawn.   I'll have to do SOMETHING  with it pretty soon, having a ten-foot , hundred pound stick of wood in the way slows everything else down. 

(Too bad nobody had a camera running when this old geezer put it on top of the Suburban, and then got it down again.)

piper

[JackCrafty]

Wow...I didn't think they made osage in that size!  And clear?

Never worked with board osage.  I would imagine that you could plain saw or quarter saw with no problem....it shouldn't make too much difference.  Also, If it were me, I would cut in half (I like short bows).

[Papa Matt]

It's all up to you Piper. What's your preference? Short, average length, or long bows?

I personally would do 6 feet and 4 feet, unless you like all short bows like Pat just said. I personally would prefer to have the 6 feet pieces that I could always trim down a few inches if need be, than have all shorter ones that would only be 5 feet at best. You just have to ask yourself, what kind of bows do you plan to make from it? Either way it's a good find.

~~Papa Matt

[Justin Snyder]

Cut it at 6 foot then you can splice the shorter pieces to make them longer.  I would cut it to get the most blanks out of it.  How much sapwood?  You could cut a couple of inches off the outside and make a couple of selfbows then rip the rest into 1" X 1.5" boards to back with boo or hickory. 

[recurve shooter]

i got no clue piper. good luck though.

[islandpiper]

Here's some pix.    there is a good side and a bad side, like most things in life.   but, I bought it with the bad side showing, and took my chances.   












Think i may cut some off for 6-foot bows....and a couple for 4-foot sticks, and the rest in even fives........dang, like cutting a diamond. 

piper

[n2everythg]

you ought to be able to get a ton of bows out of that.
Looks thick enough that you could use the board thickness for the bow thickness. what did they plane it out to 1 3/4" or so?

I would lay them out draw up a few bows side profiles and cut one or a few out. work that board a little at a time and it should last you a loooooooong time.

think I would seal it as well though so the cracks dont get any worse.
luck and have fun.
wade

[George Tsoukalas]

Are you doing bamboo backed or  composite bows. That doesn't look like selfbow quality wood. IMHO. Jawge

[n2everythg]

George,
Just curious why you dont think so. Seems like he could get a number of good staves out of that straight section. stack them up and chase a ring. use the outside of board/tree as the back etc.

just wondered what your thoughts were.
thanks
N2

[islandpiper]

While I was there I bought enough hickory and red oak to keep me and the local fellows, Recurve Shooter and Ian-Johnson busy through the winter.  So, I've been out sawing that up too.   Cut the white woods all six feet  and 1 3/4 or 1 1/2 wide by one full inch thick. 

I've dabbed about a pound of dust out of my eyes and shook the rest off my clothes. 

I cut two slices off one edge of one of the half-planks.  the plank was planed to a full 2" thick.  I am thinking that the fellow who sharpens their planer probably loves it when they plane Osage.  I made the slices just about two inches square......little less. 

Jawge, you are probably right.   I may end up slicing them again and backing them with something.   I have lots of hickory.  I have put off backing anything since I hate fairy snot and don't have a heat box.   But, I can be convinced if it is necessary. 

I'll keep watching, and reading and making shavings and in about , oh, 100-years of so I'll know about half of what you have forgotten.   As the locals would say here, "you da man".   So, believe me, i'm open for advice in the Osage department. 

Thanks in advance. 

piper

[JackCrafty]

In 100 years....I'll know that I forgot half of remembering what I....have forgotten that you.....

And what is fairy snot?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[islandpiper]

jackcrafty,

Any number of two part mixable adhesives and bonding agents, e.g. epoxy, polyester resin, etc........= FAIRY SNOT        old boat yard term. 

piper

[recurve shooter]

While I was there I bought enough hickory and red oak to keep me and the local fellows, Recurve Shooter and Ian-Johnson busy through the winter.  So, I've been out sawing that up too.   Cut the white woods all six feet  and 1 3/4 or 1 1/2 wide by one full inch thick. 

I've dabbed about a pound of dust out of my eyes and shook the rest off my clothes. 

I cut two slices off one edge of one of the half-planks.  the plank was planed to a full 2" thick.  I am thinking that the fellow who sharpens their planer probably loves it when they plane Osage.  I made the slices just about two inches square......little less. 

Jawge, you are probably right.   I may end up slicing them again and backing them with something.   I have lots of hickory.  I have put off backing anything since I hate fairy snot and don't have a heat box.   But, I can be convinced if it is necessary. 

I'll keep watching, and reading and making shavings and in about , oh, 100-years of so I'll know about half of what you have forgotten.   As the locals would say here, "you da man".   So, believe me, i'm open for advice in the Osage department. 

Thanks in advance. 

piper

and we thank ya kindly.

and i liked to fell out of my chair. fairy snot. think im gonna borrow that one.

[mullet]

 You don't need to use Fairy Snot. You could cut backing material from the hickory and glue it with plain ol' Tightbond3. If it was me I'd be wearing out some saw blades and cutting and backing a stack of blanks.

[islandpiper]

Mullet, THANK YOU.  I have been wondering about that.   I can make nice clean glue-joints and I have about 100 clamps and make R/D jigs, etc, just didn't want to have to make a hot box, and stand by while it baked.  I keep fresh Titebond on hand.   It goes old in the bottle, you know.  When that happens, it becomes "end seal" in my shop. 

I have a 16-32 Performax thicknessing sander so making the hickory backing won't be too tough.  Can you direct me HOW THICK that Hickory backing should be?   

As a friend of mine in Austrailia says, "In glue and dust, and God, we trust"

piper