Monster osage tree finished....final stave count

[osage outlaw]

OK, it looks like everyone is done guessing so I think we should lock them in.  It doesn't look good for the people with the low numbers.  I split the two chunks and ended up with 8 staves. 



Here is my poor little shaving bench.

[ken75]

well i dont know what you will end up with but i look forward to seeing what you make from it .
 enjoy the build !

[soy]

Well maby u will have to double my # man what a nice problem to have, lot of work but congratulations and enjoy the fruits of your labor

[Sidewinder]

Clint I like your style. Your processin those babies like they deserve. Should be quite a stack of "lovlies" as Dean Torges puts it. There are many bows in that there pile.  Watchin and waitin and quiverin with anticipation.    Danny

[SA]

man you really are the osage outlaw i new should have guessed higher. nice lookin staves thats as much as i have in my stash right now.

[mikekeswick]

What to say? I'm only a little jealous....
I bought some osage seeds a few months ago because osage is definately one of my favourite woods, i've got 2 'saplings' about 4 inches high now...only another 10 years till I can work them!
If it's not too late my guess is 85

[gstoneberg]

Mike,

I know you're just dreaming at this stage, but down here a 10 year old osage sapling will only be an inch or two in diameter.  I planted a row of osage seedlings in Nebraska when we moved there in 95 (the extension office gave them away) with the same plan you had.  When we left 12 years later  about 6 of the 25 were still alive, only a couple were taller than I am and nothing was over 2" in diameter.  If I'd been diligent about killing the grass around them and kept them watered it'd have gone faster I'd think.  8 rings/inch is a pretty nice piece of osage down here and I have several that are more like 15/inch.  Only once have I seen quarter inch thick osage rings.  A large diameter tree is very old, which makes OO's find really special. 

I like that you planted some osage, just want to caution about how fast they'll be bow-ready.

George

[RidgeRunner]

Outlaw:
I sure hate to slow you down and make more work for you but you need to seal the BELLY side of any of those staves that have a belly more than 1" wide.

Green Osage staves will split from the belly side nearly as fast as thay will from the back side.

David

[Elktracker]

Nice looking staves you split out there! Will you be doing any tradeing on any of those?

[Keenan]

    Them are lookin goooood.  When you take into account all those belly splits on something that big the numbers can double up real fast. You real do have a gold mine there.  Lots of work but should pay off with huge rewards.  Also the belly splits don't have to be debarked. so you are ahead of the game

[mikekeswick]

Mike,

I know you're just dreaming at this stage, but down here a 10 year old osage sapling will only be an inch or two in diameter.  I planted a row of osage seedlings in Nebraska when we moved there in 95 (the extension office gave them away) with the same plan you had.  When we left 12 years later  about 6 of the 25 were still alive, only a couple were taller than I am and nothing was over 2" in diameter.  If I'd been diligent about killing the grass around them and kept them watered it'd have gone faster I'd think.  8 rings/inch is a pretty nice piece of osage down here and I have several that are more like 15/inch.  Only once have I seen quarter inch thick osage rings.  A large diameter tree is very old, which makes OO's find really special. 

I like that you planted some osage, just want to caution about how fast they'll be bow-ready.

George

Thanks for the info, well maybe make that 30 years then!

[osage outlaw]

Elktracker, yes  

Ridgerunner, thanks for the info on sealing the bellies.  I have never had that happen before, but I don't want to take the chance of messing these up so I will start sealing them.

Since the contest is closed, I will guess.  I'm going to say 125.

I have my toes in the sand right now for some much needed R&R , but as soon as I get home, its back to osage processing.

[blackhawk]

Since the contest is closed, I will guess.  I'm going to say 125.

Wow,that's a lot. You wood know better than anyone else,and even if you over guess by 25 that's still A LOT. Can't wait for the total outcome.

[gstoneberg]

Holy cow, if you get 125 you're either a heck of a lot better at splitting osage than I am, or you're a heck of a lot luckier at avoiding belly damage.  I hope you get them, don't get me wrong.  Also, if I split them out that green, some would be pretzels before they were seasoned.  That looks like extraordinary wood, I'm pulling for you to have to have good luck with the staves staying straight.  I personally would remove the bark and leave some in quarters, though some of that is likely because I'm lazy.   I've had staves from seasoned quarters split out crooked as well.  Some times I think the wood has an agenda all its own.

George

[RidgeRunner]

What is the count now?