Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DEllis on March 18, 2011, 02:02:53 am

Title: splitting an osage stave
Post by: DEllis on March 18, 2011, 02:02:53 am
Or how to be as cheap(frugal?) as I can with bow wood ;D
I purchased a nice clean osage stave from pine hollow and decided I should be able to get two bows from it. Never done this before but heard that you can split it along a growth ring with small wedges.........I figgured screwdrivers should do it. Here're the progress pics.
That split on the left was from the bottom of the stave chased to one ring and narrowed a mite in that last pic.
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: sailordad on March 18, 2011, 02:06:31 am
i like it  8)

yup,im cheap too  :P
ive done that more than once
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: DEllis on March 18, 2011, 02:09:02 am
Also a couple pics to show what I started with. Drew the line on the ring I wanted to part it at all the way around and just tapped the screwdrivers in a little at a time. Took about one and a half laps around and it popped off fairly clean.
As you may well imagine there was some prayer involved......before and after ;D
Darcy :)
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: Autumnbear on March 18, 2011, 06:11:42 am
That's just plain awesome. Great idea! ;D Watch out though or the next stave Pine Hollow sends you will be half the size!
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: Pappy on March 18, 2011, 08:05:10 am
Nice work,I do that a lot,but usually just put a thin wedge in the end on the grain I want and
hit it.  :) :) It will usually split right down the ring. :) 2 for one can't beat that. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: DEllis on March 19, 2011, 03:58:48 pm
That's just plain awesome. Great idea! ;D Watch out though or the next stave Pine Hollow sends you will be half the size!
That's funny stuff! ;D Good advice ;D
Thanks Pappy, I'm not brave enough to try it your way ;D
Darcy :)
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: Bevan R. on March 19, 2011, 04:07:03 pm
I would say you should light a candle for not putting a screwdriver into one of those tile! ;)

Bevan R
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: gstoneberg on March 19, 2011, 08:17:13 pm
Yet another perfectly straight stave. ???  Wait till you see the one in red cellophane... >:D  You did well though.  I find that splitting sisters is either a really good, or a really bad experience.  I do it just like Pappy.

George
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: fishfinder401 on March 19, 2011, 11:36:01 pm
Yet another perfectly straight stave. ???  Wait till you see the one in red cellophane... >:D  You did well though.  I find that splitting sisters is either a really good, or a really bad experience.  I do it just like Pappy.

George
gstoneberg, the stave you sent me was born for this, there was a split down a groth ring already, i just helped it along a little, and thats the bow i put pictures up of, i barely had to chase a ring at all ;D and i have a chance at another bow ;D ;D
noel
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: Postman on March 19, 2011, 11:39:42 pm
Nice job - nice looking staves. I have about 7 bent & busted up cheap screwdrivers from doing this also ;D Gonna try the end wedge method next time
Title: Re: splitting an osage stave
Post by: gstoneberg on March 20, 2011, 12:43:14 am
I use a pair of hatchet heads to split off sisters.  They're thinner and sharper than my wedge is.  Actually, I use the hatchet heads more than my wedges splitting staves as well.

Good deal Noel, good luck with the other one.  I thought the one you finished from the first stave looked good.  Looked too heavy for me.

George