your thoughts on this stave?

[iowabow]

What you you think about this stave. I was thinking of starting on bow # 7.
1. this has a curve how do I deal with that
2. I read in another post that I should not start with a pyramid bow but should start with the taper at midlimb is that correct. Is this because it is a stave?
your thoughts before I begin would be very welcomed.

[El Destructo]

Hickory.............

[Pat B]

Pretty straight piece of osage! 

[iowabow]

sorry osage

[El Destructo]

OK...now that You added the other Picture....I can see...looks like a nice piece of wood

[iowabow]

Sorry I had a little trouble with the first part of the post. The first photo did not post and covered up my questions.

[Lombard]

Iowabow, Mike and Pat are veteran bowyers, and usually have sage advise, that I generally defer to. However in this case, they are patently wrong . The major flaw that I can observe is that piece of wood is in your possession and not mine. Although it will be a burden, you can mail that to me here in Alabama, and I'll take responsibility for properly disposing of that terrible terrible piece of wood.

Seriously though, it does look good, and nothing a little heat won't correct.

[George Tsoukalas]

Osage does heat correct pretty easily with dry heat. My last osage bow came from a stave shaped like that. Check this. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/osage.html

[gstoneberg]

Wow, that's unusually straight for osage!  No twist at all.

George

[JW_Halverson]

As clear and fine as that piece of wood is, I'd have to add character with my heatgun!  Kidding. 

Once you have the bow almost done tillering you can use dry heat on the handle section and bend it just a bit past straight easy enough.  You have to make a less radical bend in the handle than you would out on the limbs to accomplish tip alignment.  Plus any accidental discoloration of the wood by the heat is covered by the handle wrap!  Bonus!

[osage outlaw]

That stave is plenty long enough.  I would cut the straightest 66" section out of the middle and start chasing a ring.  Dry heat works great on osage to remove twist/straighten.  Good luck.

[Pat B]

Here is the centering tool I was telling you about. Work it down the stave, first with the right side forward and then with the left side forward to get a center line. In some places you will get 2 lines so just split the difference there.

[Sidewinder]

I'm with the rest of the gang. Nice piece of osage. You should have no problems with that one. Did you steal that out of my wood shed? lol I have a few that look just like it just waiting thier turn.

Pat... thats a neat little device you've got there How wide is it between the posts?   Danny

[Pat B]

Danny, it doesn't really matter. I used Eric's "gizmo" and just added the two dowels to the other side. The gizmo is 6" long.

[iowabow]

OK great thanks for all the advice I think I am going to burn it instead (just kidding).  Now I am going to layout the bow but before I do can you folk give me some input on the type of bow that should be made from this bow. I read some where that I should not tie my hands with a pyramid bow instead I should go parallel to the middle of the limb. Is this correct?