Shavings

[BowEd]

Came across this picture looking for others.First year I made bows I filled this 8' bucket up 3 times during the winter preparing staves.Did'nt have the band saw then in the background.Hatchet,draw knife,and a pocket knife were my tools.I forget how many staves but quite a few.

[Muskyman]

At first I was going to throw mine away but thought it might make good fire starting material. And it’s turning out to be great for that. It’s Osage shavings and does a great job.

[BowEd]

I've got a huge pile of shavings along the edge of the woods here.Enough for 100 life times of starting fires.I get lucky once in a while and catch a few garder snakes under it.Their after the crickets there.
I do start every first fire in the stove for the winter with a flint and steel though....It's tradition!!

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't have a bow grade bandsaw  either. Now that  am older I wish I did. But...Jawge

[Pat B]

I use my shavings for fire starter too. Don't make too many bows anymore so I've had to hit up my wood turning buddy for shavings. He's got plenty. 

[BowEd]

Mostly osage stave shavings in there with some hickory and black locust.Think there was some kentucky coffee tree in there too.

[Eric Krewson]

I do this once or twice a year, burning any osage is hard to do but once done I forget about what I burned until the next time. The take down bow in the pile failed at the takedown sleeve and splintered back 3 or 4 inches, no point in going any further with it.

 

[BowEd]

The thing about getting a band saw is you can crank out more bows faster.

[BowEd]

I'll tell ya 1 fella whose got a large shavings pile and that's the "Bow Making Machine Badger".

[Badger]

   Hey Ed, I haven't made a bow in 3 years. After I retired, I quit using the bandsaw for staves because I needed the exercise. Not making bows has taken it's toll on me. I need to start back even if it is just exercise. I would like the job of cleaning up staves. That's what made me think of that mobile tree unit. I never timed how long it would take me but I am guessing about 20 min each when I was really going at it. On a lazy day, it might take an hour. It really does a lot for your upper body strength.

 

[bentstick54]

Steve, when you say clean up a stave I’m curious to what you consider cleaned up? Bark and sapwood off, or chased to a single ring? And what method do you use to get it to that point?

[osage outlaw]

When I cleaned the staves from the monster tree I had a pile of shavings the size of a small car.  I keep a couple barrels full of shavings for fire starter.

[BowEd]

Yea your right Steve.It's good excersize.Many on here don't realize the amount of shavings you've pulled through your good years,and what you've done for the self bow making world.I still have that hickory of yours.It's in the lower to middle 40's @ 28".It developed a negative tiller but I figure to balance it and heat treat it to raise the poundage some.It'll be an outstanding shooter.Got a nice bullsnake skin from WillB to put on it.I'll see if I can get a deer with it sometime.Thanks.
I don't make near the number of bows per year any more either.There used to be bowyers on here 10 years ago that cranked out outstanding high poundage bows every week.

I'm sure there was a heap of shavings from that good old tree Clint.Good thing about those large trunked logs is that most all the pin knots are gone.Clean free wood but you never know sometimes splitting wood and chasing rings.My pile shavings on the edge of the woods I guess would fill a pick up box a few times.Never burn it.It's laying in a wash kinda out of the way.

[Badger]

Steve, when you say clean up a stave I’m curious to what you consider cleaned up? Bark and sapwood off, or chased to a single ring? And what method do you use to get it to that point?

 When I clean up a stave I take it down to one ring and remove all loose material and splinters.

[bentstick54]

I am definitely an amateur in respect to you, and have always let my staves dry with bark on, but find it amazing that you could get one cleaned up in 20 minutes. Is this with freshly cut Osage, and do you use a draw knife start to finish, or how did you go about it.
I started a thread not to far back asking how hard it is to take freshly cut winter Osage bark and sapwood off vs. seasoned with bark and sapwood on. I’m looking to learn a better ( easier) way process some staves before I get any older.  I’m also retired and would like to put up some stock for future use while I still can physically.