osage branch strength

[luke the drifter]

here goes--let say you find an almost perfect osage orange tree with a log worth about ten feet and 10 inches in diameter, nice and straight.  then above that log you find some "sucker" branches about 6 feet long 4 inches diameter, nice and straight growing out in various places.  Generally speaking, is the wood in the branches just as strong as the heartwood in the ten foot log?  just curious.




















 

[Badly Bent]

Well Im no expert but have made several osage bows and a few of those were from branches.  In my limited experience I'd say yes most branch wood probably is as strong as trunk heartwood. Now on the few osage branch bows that I have made I removed the sapwood
down to the tight ringed heartwood. The osage bow that I consider my best performer was made in this fashion from a 4" dia. vertical growing branch. Also what may or may not be noteworthy is that this branch was of that darker colored osage that I usually find to be more dense. Of course even with osage quality of wood can vary from tree to tree and maybe vary even within the same tree.

[Badly Bent]

Oh and if your considering taking staves from  this tree you described get them all, branches and trunk wood. Send me some of each and I'll make some bows and maybe then have a more definitive answer to your question Luke.
Greg

[osage outlaw]

That's what I call second growth.  I have used it for bows and it seemed fine to me.  I like to find old stumps that have some good 4"-6" second growth coming out of it.