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Author Topic: I'm Addicted To Staves!  (Read 10630 times)

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Offline SKansasC

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I'm Addicted To Staves!
« on: March 04, 2015, 10:53:59 am »
I have zero experience making bows, but have recently decided to try my hand at it. I decided to find a decent osage tree, as I have access to about a mile and a half of hedge row, and eventually found a long straight piece that looked good to me. I cut and split it into halves, and that is where the story should end...but it doesn't. Something about cutting and splitting appealed to me! The next weekend I went back to find another perhaps larger tree, and well, this is what I came home with. Several osage staves, along with some hackberry, elm, and locust. And I cant help but look at every tree I drive by, and wonder... :-\





On a more serious note, I have sealed the ends, but should I apply a pesticide to keep boring insects away?
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2015, 10:59:36 am »
No doubt, spray the crap out of them once a month.
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Offline Josh B

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2015, 11:14:54 am »
Welcome aboard!  I live an hour North of you in Concordia.  Nice looking staves! Is that some cedar in the first pic?  As far as bug protection goes, get the bark and sapwood off and seal the backs really good with polyurethane or something similar.  I think the borers in our area just get drunk off the pesticide and get the munchies.  If those other staves are cedar, just remove the bark carefully and seal the sapwood.  You'll want to do this before you harvest any more.  The borers and powder post beetles will destroy your stash in short order when it warms up.  Josh
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2015, 11:41:03 am »
Welcome to the addiction.  That's a nice looking stash you are building up. 
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I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline Badger

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2015, 11:49:27 am »
  Even if you don't make bows think about it this way. If you were having trouble saving $500.00 a month toward your retirement you could save maybe 10 staves a month. They will gain value with inflation. After about 20 years or so you will have maybe 2,500 staves worth about $100.00 each. See if you can get your wife to buy that one.
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Offline jimmy

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2015, 11:50:15 am »
Where in Kansas do you live?  I live in Sedgwick county.  I have a few friends around here that make bows also (Sidewinder being one of them).  Definetly no shortage of osage and hackberry around here.  I cut wood a few weeks ago on some property that will soon be completely cleared through some type of government grant, almost all osage.  I got about 22 good staves from that harvest.  Just wood that will be bulldozed, can you imagine?
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Offline TimBo

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2015, 11:52:03 am »
Sometimes I think collecting staves might be my favorite part of the whole process!  Welcome aboard!
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Offline DC

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2015, 12:42:24 pm »
I think that a lot of hobbies-hunting, fishing, bow making and more are just an excuse to go for a walk in the wood. :D :D
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Offline Sidewinder

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2015, 01:04:08 pm »
I remember when I first got started in this thing and I was obsessed with finding new trees that had good bow staves. Every wooded area I drove past I was rubbernecking to see if I saw anything that was straight.  I mean I was stricken with it bad. If your going to make bows you will need materials thats for sure.
  I personally like to get the ends sealed, debark them down to the heartwood if its osage, and then seal the backs with shellac. No problem with borers that way. I have also found that it is easier to get the sapwood off when its still somewhat wet with moisture. The longer it dries the harder it is to get the sapwood off, IMO.
 I live south of Wichita betweeen Winfield and Ark City just off the OK border. Jimmy lives in Wichita. There are a few of us around these parts that know each other. You have certainly come to the right place.   Danny
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"You know a tree by the fruit it bears"   God

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2015, 02:08:00 pm »
yes I agree with taking off the sap wood and sealing, to reduce the bugs,,
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Offline JonW

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2015, 02:11:24 pm »
Nice stash. I would be leery of those south Kansas guys. Especially Danny. >:D Jimmy is about as bad. Really though take those guys up on any offer they have. They are my kind of people. That is if they will claim me :o
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Offline Patches

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2015, 02:39:37 pm »
Yep...it is definitely an addiction! Welcome to it!

Neal
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Offline alwayslookin

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2015, 02:46:20 pm »
Nice staves. Need my adress to send me some? >:D
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Offline okie64

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2015, 02:47:52 pm »
Quote from: TimBo on March 04, 2015, 11:52:03 am
Sometimes I think collecting staves might be my favorite part of the whole process!  Welcome aboard!
+1 on that. Its a great feeling when you find that perfect tree!
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Offline SKansasC

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Re: I'm Addicted To Staves!
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2015, 03:13:02 pm »
Quote from: Badger on March 04, 2015, 11:49:27 am
  Even if you don't make bows think about it this way. If you were having trouble saving $500.00 a month toward your retirement you could save maybe 10 staves a month. They will gain value with inflation. After about 20 years or so you will have maybe 2,500 staves worth about $100.00 each. See if you can get your wife to buy that one.
Please don't give me any more reason to get more!  ;D

Quote from: Gun Doc on March 04, 2015, 11:14:54 am
Welcome aboard!  I live an hour North of you in Concordia.  Nice looking staves! Is that some cedar in the first pic?  As far as bug protection goes, get the bark and sapwood off and seal the backs really good with polyurethane or something similar.  I think the borers in our area just get drunk off the pesticide and get the munchies.  If those other staves are cedar, just remove the bark carefully and seal the sapwood.  You'll want to do this before you harvest any more.  The borers and powder post beetles will destroy your stash in short order when it warms up.  Josh

That is Honey Locust in the first picture. They didn't turn out as good as I had hoped. Thanks for the advice!

Quote from: jimmy on March 04, 2015, 11:50:15 am
Where in Kansas do you live?  I live in Sedgwick county.  I have a few friends around here that make bows also (Sidewinder being one of them).  Definetly no shortage of osage and hackberry around here.  I cut wood a few weeks ago on some property that will soon be completely cleared through some type of government grant, almost all osage.  I got about 22 good staves from that harvest.  Just wood that will be bulldozed, can you imagine?

Bulldozing hedgerows is rampant in this area! They just pile and burn it! I live a few miles west of Salina.

Quote from: Sidewinder on March 04, 2015, 01:04:08 pm
I remember when I first got started in this thing and I was obsessed with finding new trees that had good bow staves. Every wooded area I drove past I was rubbernecking to see if I saw anything that was straight.  I mean I was stricken with it bad. If your going to make bows you will need materials thats for sure.
  I personally like to get the ends sealed, debark them down to the heartwood if its osage, and then seal the backs with shellac. No problem with borers that way. I have also found that it is easier to get the sapwood off when its still somewhat wet with moisture. The longer it dries the harder it is to get the sapwood off, IMO.
 I live south of Wichita betweeen Winfield and Ark City just off the OK border. Jimmy lives in Wichita. There are a few of us around these parts that know each other. You have certainly come to the right place.   Danny

Thanks for the info!

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