Treasure next door

[koan]

Hilbilly, thats what I was thinkin too. Looks more like mullberry...either way good stuff....Brian

[Otoe Bow]

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

[koan]

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

[Pat B]

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

[cowboy]

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 ..........

[Sidewinder]

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.

[Marc St Louis]

I was also thinking that it looks more like Mulberry

[Otoe Bow]

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

[Otoe Bow]

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. 




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[cowboy]

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........

[Hillbilly]

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.

[Sidewinder]

Looks like osage to me. I think he has one with some real fat growth rings. But mulberry aint near that yellow.

[Hillbilly]

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.

[Otoe Bow]

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.   

Otoe

[Sidewinder]

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.