Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Otoe Bow on October 31, 2007, 01:33:32 pm
-
My parents live across the road from me on the original family homestead that was settled after one of the Land Runs in the late 1800's. It's the place where I grew up and roamed as a kid.
Yesterday my dad and my niece's husband, Jeff, were clearing some brush that had grown up around the barn. Jeff works for the local electric co-op clearing line easements and right-of-ways so he's pretty adept with a chain-saw. My parents are in their 70's and have not raised any livestock to speak of in over 20 years, so the barn was primarily just being used as a storage shed and was becoming overgrown with brush on the back side.
Dad came over last night and told me that they had cut down a bodark tree and he asked me if I wanted it. After he described the tree, I grabbed a flashlight and went to look.
It's about 8 inches in diameter and relatively straight. The trunk would have been longer, but Jeff got a little rambunctious with the chain saw and cut off about 18 inches. The final length appears to be slightly over five feet tall. It looks perfect.
In another post, I'd stated that I wanted to cut a bodark tree that I'd found, but was having a hard time finding the time to get it done. I'd stated that I hoped to find the time to get it cut by December. The tree I had my eye on was n the far side of a piece of leased property. Just this past Sunday, I'd asked Dad if we still had permission to cut wood off of the lease, (he loses the lease in January). He said we did, and remembered that I was looking for bodark when he and Jeff cut the tree by the barn. I had no idea that there was a similar tree less than 100 yards from my house. What a find. As soon as I get a chance to see it in the daylight, I'll try and post pictures of my recently discovered hidden treasure. What a find.
Though I've yet to make a single bow, I see no issue in getting a piece of bodark waiting in the wings for when I'm ready for the challenge. I think a bow made from a tree from the place I grew up will be very special.
I'll keep you all posted and hope to have pictures soon.
Otoe
-
Sounds like a great deal to me even if it is a little short. Never look a gift horse in the mouth. ;) Justin
-
Thats too cool Otoe, you will always have apiece of the old homestead
-
Here are a few pic's. I also included the portion that was inadvertently cut off. :'(
Otoe
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Mmmmm, beautiful bodark ;D. Man, look at those growth rings! from what I can see that first one is almost a half inch. Do you have a pic of the cut end? Speaking of the ends, better get some glue on them quick. Too bad you were'nt around to cut it yourself to get as much length as possible. I cut everything 72" or longer while I'm collecting, may not be necessary but I try to get as much as I can. Absolutely nothin wrong with collecting while your learning - that's what I've been doing for the better part of a year now....Nice log!!
-
thats a real gift for you om hallows eve. put itaway and with more exp. you can make a fine short bow or cut into billets you can make a bow 10 feet long. it should last a lifetime. happy halloween mike. butch
-
Nice gift,ought to make some fine bows in a year or 2. :) Show a end view,growth rings look good from what I can see. :)
Pappy
-
Things were nuts yesterday so I ran over (notice the running shoe in the picture ::) ) and took a few quick pic's before having to head off to town for church and to take my daughter to play practice. Hopefully I'll have some time tonight after work to coat the ends. When I do, I'll get a shot of the growth rings.
I did notice that it had very thick growth rings but didn't know if that was good or if thinner rings were more desirable.
Thanks guys, I'll keep you posted.
Otoe
-
You should probably split the log in half, at least so it can dry well. If you don't it will check where it wants to below the bark. Study the log to be sure where you split it will give you the most good stave wood. You may have to make billets from the side near where the limb was. Pat
-
Hey Cowboy: I went back and looked at your pic's of the Bodark you cut in September to look at the end grain. I noticed the huge bottle of TiteBond in the picture. Is that what you coat the ends with? (I originally thought it was bar oil)
I've got several bottles of TB II and III around, but not much. Would latex paint work too?
Also, with the large growth rings and the thickness of the log, do you think a piggy-back stave would be possible? I have a feeling that I'll need as many blanks as I can get from the log for practice. :-[.
Otoe
-
Yes the paint will work,I like the glue better just cause you can see the end grain later.
I have a lot of Osage and like to look at the grain when deciding on a piece.I use to use rubber undercoating but for that reason stopped using it.Just cheap wood glue will work also and
it don't take much to cover. :)
Pappy
-
Otoe: Like Pappy said, I like the white glue cause it dries clear and you can pick out your back ring more easily later. Once you split that log I don't think you'll have enough for a piggy back, don't get stingy with it and try to get too many staves - you'll wind up ruining more than otherwise. Good luck.
-
I know you guys have told us newbies the answer to this question a hundred times, but should I go ahead and remove the bark now too?
Otoe
-
Yes, after you split it. Go ahead and take off the bark and might as well take off the sap wood too, unless you want to leave it. Bugs will eat it to peices if ya leave bark on too long after cutting - seal the backside real good with whatever your using.
-
Yep, if you take the bark off, seal the back. I found that one out the hard way. That's some of the fattest rings I've ever seen on osage. Almost looks like mulberry.
-
Hilbilly, thats what I was thinkin too. Looks more like mullberry...either way good stuff....Brian
-
With football games last night and work today, I've still not seen it in the daylight other than when I ran over and took the pictures. Since it was already cut, I didn't see the leaves either, but I'm thinking you may be right. We have a lot of mulberry around the place too. I didn't realize that mullberry was so yellow.
Are they in the same family?
I'll still try and get some better pictures of the end-grain. If it turns out to be mullberry, I'm still good with it. I'll prepare it either way. I still know where the "other" Osage is.... complete with the little green hedge apples on the ground.
Thanks guys
Otoe
-
Dont know fer sure but have been told that osage,locust, and mullberry are in the same family. Here in Mo. when u first cut any of them the heartwood looks yellow to green. Give it a couple days and the black locust and mullberry will change to more of a greyish in the heartwwod and the osage wont. That may just be in my area and climate, dont know. Hope someone else will chime in and clear it up for us....Lots of mullberry here, got to get it cut ;)....Brian
-
Mulberry is related to osage. I don't think locust is related. Mulberry doesn't have thorns on the outer branches like osage does. Mulberry will make an excellent bow. Go about 10% to 15% longer and wider than you would with osage and you should be fine. Pat
-
we'll see and either way, you got a good hunk a wood. That grain is awful thick inside, but the bark outside is screaming osage. All the mullberry's I've seen in this part of the country have a slick bark till they get older, then they rough up a bit - but they don't look like what you have there. Well hope you get some nice bow's out of her anyway ;)..........
-
Go Otoe, go Otoe, go otoe. By the way, the OSU-Ku big 12 game ought to be a doozie huh? They are both looking to collide here real soon.
-
I was also thinking that it looks more like Mulberry
-
Hey Sidewinder, Thanks for the encouragement. I just hope my Pokes do better than they did against the Longhorns. We were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once again. :'(
I'm with you Cowboy, I'm still pretty excited about the wood, be it one or the other. I should be able to load it up and bring it to my shop today. Hopefully more pics then.
Ya'll have a blessed day.
Otoe
-
Ok guys: I finally got the wood over and split. Luckily it hadn't started to check yet so I don't think I was too late. It still had it's yellowish color so I think it still may be Bodarc. Also, notice the milky white sap that started to oozz out from under the bark while I was working on it. You could literally watch it bubble up from the sap wood as I removed the bark. ???
Here are some pic's. The growth rings are HUGE as you can see. After I got it halved, I decided that the big kinky knot was going to be too much for this newbie so I cut out the straight parts to use for either a laminated or takedown. I think it was also a bit short to use as a one piece stave. I left two in tact so if I get real froggy, I might give them a try in a couple of years. ::) I think I'll also try turning some duck calls out of it. I saw some in an Orvis catalog and they look pretty cool.
The good straight pieces are in my shop with the backs and ends sealed in Titebond glue. The whole pieces are sealed and will go up to my barn for the long haul.
Let me know what you think.
Otoe
PS: Sidewinder: Congrats to your Jayhawks. They're doing great and I think they're finally starting to get the attention of the big media types. Haven't seen the latest BCS rankings, but they should be pretty close to #1.
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Wow! Looking at those rings again I'm having my doubts on it being osage :-\. Haven't cut any mullberry yet but have my eye on a few - need to sharpen up the saw. Have never seen rings that big on any sage I've cut. hmm........
-
Yep, I'd say you've got a piece of Mulberry there. It'll make good bows, like Pat said, just make it a bit wider/longer than osage.
-
Looks like osage to me. I think he has one with some real fat growth rings. But mulberry aint near that yellow.
-
All the mulberry I've ever cut here is yellow just like that with thin white sapwood and lots of white sticky latex. The only mulberry trees that I've ever seen with white wood were really young/small ones that hadn't had a chance to build heartwood yet.
-
Thanks all. I'm leaning towards Mullberry too. Either way, I plan on making use of it. Now to go get the Bodarc I had my eye on earlier. ;D
Otoe
-
Well, I guess ya learn something new every day. I obviously haven't cut enough mulberry to know. I have eaten my share though and I had no idea that mulberry was yellow. I like that yellow wood though. I heard that mulberry makes good bow wood so you should be allright.
-
I can remember sitting under the tree in my great-aunt's yard eating way too many mullberries at a time when I was a kid-does wonders for your digestive system ;D