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Author Topic: If you could get custom sawn osage?  (Read 1524 times)

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Offline wapiti1997

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If you could get custom sawn osage?
« on: November 20, 2013, 03:02:17 pm »
I have a friend that is sawing some large osage.  He asked if I wanted any for bowmaking. 
I'm thinking some 2"x2" or  1"boards might be good for making backing/risers?
I've never worked anything but a stave, how would you get some sawn?
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Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2013, 03:15:19 pm »
I'd get as much as possible sawn into slats, or boards that I could saw into slats myself. My preference would be for quartersawn, riftsawn, then flat sawn in that order. Boards or slats 1 1/2" or more wide and either 72 or 36-40" long.
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Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2013, 03:34:51 pm »
If the 2x2's are fairly straight grained you could chase a ring on the right cut and still make a self bow. Id say 1" thick by 2" wide and no shorter than 36" for slat wood, 1/4 sawn would be best.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2013, 03:37:59 pm by PEARL DRUMS »
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Don Case

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2013, 03:39:08 pm »
Wouldn't it be better to get the biggest piece you can get in your truck and split it into staves? Save all those sawmill costs.
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Offline wapiti1997

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2013, 04:41:14 pm »
I have a hundred or more staves.  There is no cost, he basically asked me if I wanted some and how I wanted it.  I don't have a band saw. 
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2013, 07:01:53 pm »
Quote from: wapiti1997 on November 20, 2013, 04:41:14 pm
I have a hundred or more staves.  There is no cost, he basically asked me if I wanted some and how I wanted it.  I don't have a band saw.

I'd ask him for the straightest grain pieces without knots or cracks, etc. Shoot I'd just take everything he would give me, haha.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2013, 08:17:54 pm »
That's got me thinking ........ quarter sawed you say Pearly???   ???  That sounds like a idea to me.  Maybe Half Eye (Rich) will chime in and provide some ideas on quarter sawed osage.  I can remember any bows posted like that but I'm getting old and forgetfull these days.  Can you imagine how thin those limbs would be.....
DBar
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Offline Tom Kurth

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2013, 09:11:58 pm »
Depending on what your friend is wanting for himself, you may just ask for the center board (of whatever thickness you think appropriate) if he's plain-sawing the whole trunk. If it is fairly straight, the center cut would give you one quarter-sawn board all the way from one side to the other.

Best,
Tom
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Tom

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Offline Badger

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Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2013, 10:18:26 pm »
  I never cared for 1/4 sawn osage but I use 1X2X72" slats all the time for backed bows. I don't like my bely slat any thinner than 3/4" because I don't like using a power lam to keep the handle from flexing. I prefer 1" think if I had someone sawing it for me. You can back osage with a lot of different woods, bamboo, maple, red oak, white oak, hickory. I would take all I could get. I will even buy some from you if you are selling any.
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