While looking for sheds a few days ago, I found an osage tree that my brother-in-law had cut maybe 4 or 5 years ago. I checked the stump and it looked like it had decent growth rings. There were couple of staight sections that had potential. I hated to think of all of that good bow wood rotting away, so I borrowed a quad and went after them today. They were in a creek bed at the bottom of a steep hill. I cut and seeled them and pulled them one at a time up the hill and to the house. As a bonus, I found 2 sheds while driving down the hill to get them.
The bark was loose and most of it was gone by the time I got them to the house. The logs have a lot of small holes all over them, but as I was splitting them, I didn't see any that went more than 2 or 3 rings deep.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11427.jpg)
The big one is 82" long and 10" wide.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11428.jpg)
The smaller one is 75" long and 7" wide.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11429.jpg)
Here are the sheds.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11430.jpg)
I split the big one and it is really wet for the first foot. Will this be a problem, or is it OK.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11431.jpg)
This is what I got from 1/2 of the big log. One is a belly split. I was pooped out after getting to this point. Tomorrow I will try to get the rest split.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11432.jpg)
Thats stuff is gold colored for dang good reason! Nice splits. Trade ya some genuine processed Indiana sinew?
Looks like some nice stright sticks.
As long as the bugs did not go to deep you should be fine.
Wish I had Osage here. Would love to try a bow from some.
Nice save you have.
QuoteOriginally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
Thats stuff is gold colored for dang good reason! Nice splits. Trade ya some genuine processed Indiana sinew?
These won't need any sinew backing. Is that a bottomless bag of sinew or what?
Nice save.. good luck with it..
Those staves look good to me.
water won't be an issue if they are sealed. Nice staves with great rings. What better than a bow and antler tips.
Nice catch there!
CJ
Awesome save scrub-buster! The tip overlays and knife handles are just a bonus,lol.
Scrub, them staves hain't no good. I'll just drive out there and pick them up so ya don't go wasting your time on them:)
Sounds like a kind thing to do Roy, I'll meet ya there...
:biglaugh:
Ok Lee, there are 6 so you take your pick of one, then I'll pick, then you pick, then I'll pick, then you pick and I'll take whats left:)
I don't wanna see Scrub using bad wood:)
Mighty kind of you to let me have first pick Roy...I won't forget the gesture, LOL.
man those are straight. Nice save goes to show you never know what you are going to find.
If you guys drive here from where you live, I'll give you each a stave.
I finished splitting all of it. Here's what I ended up with.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11434-1.jpg)
I sprayed some bug killer on them last night. When I checked them today, there were all of these little beetles dead all around them.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11433.jpg)
When I removed a little wood, this is what I found.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11436.jpg)
And this is what it looks like 3 or 4 rings down.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11437.jpg)
I worked all day splitting and drawknifing. I think tomorrow, I will try to use my bandsaw to remove the damaged wood on the rest of them. Anyway it turns out, it was well worth the effort to rescue these staves.
Well, if gas prices weren't through the roof I'd consider the 6 hour drive and take you up on your offer, grin.
If all those staves clean up as well as the one pictured it looks like you make a great haul.
Well Scrub, I can tell from the pics that it's still a bit stringy when you split it up, so that's a good sign! It means that it's not pithy in side, which isn't any good.
So just based on the pics, I'd say you found a diamond in a goat's arse. Good score!
Only way to find out for %100 sure is to get crackin' on a new bow. :thumbsup:
Good one, Scrub!
Looks like yeller shavin's in your future.
Stan
Nice Scrub, wish you the best with it.
Nice looking osage. That color is promising and the rings look good. I see bows in there for sure.
Nice save!
Good save! Jawge
Lucky Dawg!!! Looks great. If you dont have one bulid a shaving horse and the drawknifing will go so much quicker you will not believe it. I built mine from cull pieces from Home Depot and I cost me $10 total and it is pressure treated.
QuoteOriginally posted by TroutGuide:
Lucky Dawg!!! Looks great. If you dont have one bulid a shaving horse and the drawknifing will go so much quicker you will not believe it. I built mine from cull pieces from Home Depot and I cost me $10 total and it is pressure treated.
I have a bench that I use for removing bark and sapwood. It is an old skid from work made from 2x6. I sawed it in half and turned it into a bench. I let the kids spray paint it so it is 3 or 4 different colors. I use ratchet straps to hold the stave and blocks of wood to raise them up. It looks like junk, but it works. I can stand it up on end when I am not using it, so it doesn't take up much room.
Today I got all but 2 staves down to good solid wood. The other two will have to wait until my next day off. I used the bandsaw a little and it saved some time and work. I coated the backs and ends with spray shellac. With some of these being wet, would it be a good idea to paint them with wood glue also? After all of the work I have done on them the last few days, I would hate to have them check all over the backs.
Here is my skid/bench in action. I can stand up to work on a stave quickly, or sit down and be more precise. I hope to try out a shave horse at the classic. I might end up building one if I like it.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11441.jpg)
That's a sh*t load of work! I know how labor intensive it is believe me I know.
If you have any bench at all like a wooden work bench of some kind you can make one easily like I have and it works great. It's just a 2x4 about 6' long screwed down to the top of my wooden work bench then a leg coming down off the end that hangs out over the concrete floor to form an "L" off the edge of the work bench. It's a little over waist high which is the perfect height so I don't have to stoop or slump over to work on a stave or a bow. I strap my staves to it using ratchet straps and blocks like you got there in your pic. It didn't cost anything to build and it's solid as a rock.
Or you could lag bolt a facier version to one of your 4x4 uprights there on the side of your wall and put a hinge on it so it can be folded up out of the way. Just make it about waist high and it will serve you well.