"Second String" woods?

[George Tsoukalas]

I've been around the block on this a time or 2, Mullett. That's ok; this is apparently a new issue for some. Jawge

[Gordon]

Anyone want to trade some nice osage staves for vine maple? 

[mullet]

  Nope

[DCM]

Gordon I've said before, or at least thought it (does that count), I'd happily trade you osage for one of those hats you wear.  I was serious.  If you'll email me your snail mail address, I'll get you a piece out for no other reason than to see what you will make from it.

dcm4@comcast.net

[Ryano]

I'd like to try vine maple Gordon. I will take you up on that. I cut my own osage, I drove to the other side of the statre to do it but I got a whole truck load, it was well worth it. It just depends on how bad you wan't it, it don't have to cost you a arm and a leg. And for the record I have never seen "bad osage" Some tree's are definetly better than others but I've never cut any bad osage.

Jawge, the reason I ask is I seem to remember you posting a osage bow not all that long ago that you said was your first ever piece.

Jd, I agree with your last post 100%, Thats kind of what I was trying to say but you said it better.

Dcm, You had me rolling on that one.....lol. Its hard to comunicate feelings while typing....

[George Tsoukalas]

Ryan, no I made my first osage about 8 years ago. Jawge

[duffontap]

I'd like to try vine maple Gordon. I will take you up on that. I cut my own osage, I drove to the other side of the statre to do it but I got a whole truck load, it was well worth it. It just depends on how bad you wan't it, it don't have to cost you a arm and a leg. And for the record I have never seen "bad osage" Some tree's are definetly better than others but I've never cut any bad osage.

For the record:  I've cut some terrible Yew.  I roughed out a nice looking stave once that ran about 100 RPI and set it on my drying rack.  It volunteered 8" of deflex before I got another chance to work it.      I still have it and I'd be glad to trade it for a good, straight piece of cardboard. 

Ryan,
Thanks for the encouragement.  I was just about to set my shop on fire.     Ha, ha.  I'll trade Yew some Yew for Osage.  Could you match 3 clean billets?

       J. D.

[Badger]

Ryan, you may not have much problem with osage in your state, I have had very bad osage come from nebraska, kansas, and idaho. Some of the best i ever had came from Missouri, Illinois and indiana. I usually have good luck comming from any of the southern states. If you ever get any of it you will know it right off the bat. The spring growth will be thicker than the summer growth, Steve

[Ryano]

JD, I have mostly full length stave's.  It all depends on your definition of clean......If you mean straight as a arrow and knot free probally knot....(pun intended)
Steve, now that I think about it I did cut one tree that had black checks running through the wood and that stuff wasn't really usable but thats from wind I think.....

[Gordon]

David,

If I had another hat to send you I would. I can only get the real thing when I go to Austria - which isn't often. If you are willing to part with a stave I'm game - I'll do my level best to make you proud 

Ryan,

I'm up for a trade - I've got a nice stave I can send you. I'd love to see what you can do with it.l

[snedeker]

I'm about 175 miles southeast of Ryan in Central PA, and I have run afoul of major league bad osage. I cut a couple sectios off a 34" diameter specimen that blew down in a storm.  147 growth rings.  I saw think growth rings overall and thought that was good, but it was 6 years ago, early in my bow career.  Worked my butt of working it up.  Had thick, fluffy white early growth layer in each ring and turned out to be light as heck.  More lige red oak in SG probably.  Almost useless for a full sized flatbow, although I have found some uses for it.  Imagine my dissappointment

Dave

[tom sawyer]

Mims whats the matter, losing your hair?  My brother got a nice Austrian hat from ebay, he sports it when he goes to the Oktoberfest celebrations at the local wineries.  If you go all out and procure some lederhosen to go with, be sure and post some pics.  I suspect you'd be standing out pretty bad in Memphis.  Might do the redneck version, cutoff bibs and a NASCAR ball cap.  Play it safe.

Ryan I've seen those dark cracks in a few logs, sometimes you still get staves and sometimes its pretty much useless.  And there's always the stuff with a real poor spring/summer ratio, we see a fair amount of poor ratio wood around here.

[koan]

Most of what I get has spring growth issues also....usually just on one side of a tree limb but the other side will be good....Brian

[tom sawyer]

We might have a longer or wetter spring here in MO, that causes more growth early.

And the thin ringed side is typically the tension wood, supposedly the better stuff.  A real conundrum, or Koanundrum in your case.

[koan]

Lol...Lennie, you playin hooky today to?.....Brian