Ocean spray

[bow101]

No we don't Osage but we have Ocean Spray and tons of it......

[burn em up chuck]

  such a tease, show more 

                      chuck

[bow101]

I was going to take a few more pics with my foot in there to show a reference size but the Camera went dead.  Its about 3" at the base .

[osage outlaw]

Looks like a giant fern to me 

[DC]

You'll have to go back . I would like to see how long the pieces are. Usually that diameter only goes for a couple of feet and then branches. The moss covers everything. If you cut some put some of the moss over the stump. Then the passers by won't notice that you've been there.

[bow101]

You'll have to go back . I would like to see how long the pieces are. Usually that diameter only goes for a couple of feet and then branches. The moss covers everything. If you cut some put some of the moss over the stump. Then the passers by won't notice that you've been there.

Some sections look long enough, but I shall return Don.

Giant fern to you maybe, OS is a shrub, the local natives were making fish hooks out of the stuff.   When this stuff breaks it splinters in multiple layers.  I found that not all OS is created equal some of is very, very tough and other stuff is lighter and softer.
OS likes to have full sun light and I think the shaded variety is weaker.

[Blacktail]

heck yeah,you can do arrows and bows...since you live in the wonderful country of BC you should have lots of cutting to do...and its becoming the right time of year to do it....you could do a photo search on google for os bows to see some...john

[wizardgoat]

I'm just starting to work some OS I harvested last winter. I removed belly wood a month after I cut and recently roughed out some bows. I just keeps dropping weight I wonder if it'll ever season! It takes such a small amount of wood to make a good bow. I have a couple staves that are long, straight and thick enough for a heavy warbow. One day...
That looks like a pretty old bush

[DC]

I have some that I have had for nearly a year and it's still losing weight. I think that because it's so dense it takes a long time. Here on the coast I'm thinking that it will never reach it's optimum dryness if not dried in a controlled environment. It seems to stop losing weight until you remove a bit of wood and then it starts losing again. OS has a reputation for taking set, I think this is because it takes so long to dry. I'm going to floor tiller my next bow and then it will go back in the hot box for a few weeks. My hot box is set at 70f degrees and 50% RH so it doesn't roast the wood. Even 6 month old wood will check sometimes if you rush it. Can you tell OS is one of my favorite woods?

[wizardgoat]

A sinew backed shorty is on my list. I have 4 staves all at floor tiller, I have plenty of dry wood so they can wait for a while

[randman]

And this is why they call it Ocean Spray.......the natives around here know it as "Iron wood" If you ask them about Ocean Spray the response "huh?   what's that?"

[randman]

I have found from experience that if you slice the larger staves in half down to the pith they season faster and a lot safer. It's hard to get the seasoned in the round without checking severely.
Another thing I've noticed is there is a difference in OS from drylands (east side of the Cascades) and wetland (west of cascades). The dryland stuff is harder and springier (I think) and mostly smaller but you can find some big enough stuff.......Indian John Hill  southeast of Cle Elum WA is covered with it but you don't notice it if it's not in bloom (but it can't hide from my eyes)......I have a 1" dia. 48" long "stick" that pulls 55lbs@24"
seasoned in the round (luckily). round cross section all the way down.......Sort of like a mini Mary Rose

And Ocean Spray don't need no sinew......

[wizardgoat]

I'll sinew one to get a draw longer than half the bow, and to keep the reflex in it.
An experiment I'm willing to try

[Carson (CMB)]

Ocean spray is some dense, elastic wood.  Watch for rot in those larger pieces.  Not always rotted, but sometimes the older stuff gets rot inside from a broken branch above. 
The only osean spray bow I finished out was a nice 1" wide 50# at 28", 64" with almost all of its natural reflex (1.5") remaining.  I traded it for a guitar, and while I dont regret the trade, I wish I had taken some photos of it first.   

While sinew might not be required, it was pretty commonly used in combination with ocean spray/iron wood by Indian/native american/first peoples/indigenous north americans.