(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/CIMG0014.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/CIMG0015.jpg)
Looks like a good challenge Jim.
Seen worse :D Oughta make a nice bow. Afew corrections here and there. Looks pretty clear of knots sept that one I can see.
Two of the staves from this log have knots, one is toward the end and one is damn near the middle left and right and up and down. It may become billets.
I thinkthe one in the pic is the one I will tackle 1st. Its a long ways from being cured though. I just cut this in Sept.
Be patient Jim, it'll dry :bigsmyl:
Should osage be cured laying flat or can it stand up on end?
You can stand it on end. That's how I store all my bow wood in my basement workshop.
There's a bow in there for sure.
Man I love Osage!
Heat gun is yer fren. And knots won't hurt the runnin' of it none. If theys big and punky poke their eye out. If not, just build 'em into it.
Looks good to me,should be a bow or 2 in that.
Knots aren't usually a problem just leave a little more meat around them or like David said
punch it out and have a hole in the limb.
Pappy
The rings look real good to me.
Notice how it curves up on the left end? Should I keep that and try to steam the same amount into the other end?
Yep, I'd keep it for sure, but you can use a heat gun to match them up, once you get it layed out and cut down to size.
Awesome!
Nuthin' wrong with billets either! I prefer them myself.
I split one of my wider staves from the same log and it seems pretty dry. I don't have a moisture meter. How do I tell when it's ready?
Jim you can weigh it, when it stops loosing weight it's dry.
Can I reduce some of the belly wood before I remove the bark and sap wood?
What are some good books or vids to get for osage self bows?
Jim, you can go ahead and get the bark off anyway. (bugs) You can also take off sapwood. Just seal it with shellac or something to slow down the drying. Seal the ends real good. Traditional Bowyers Bibles are good, but get a copy of Hunting The Osage Bow from Dean Torges. You'll be glad you did.
Thank you all for the help.