How about this osage?

razorsharptokill · December 03, 2009, 01:08:00 PM

Okie 1 · December 03, 2009, 01:55:00 PM

Looks like a good challenge Jim.

Dano · December 03, 2009, 01:59:00 PM

Seen worse :D Oughta make a nice bow. Afew corrections here and there. Looks pretty clear of knots sept that one I can see.

razorsharptokill · December 03, 2009, 02:37:00 PM

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.

Dano · December 03, 2009, 03:04:00 PM

Be patient Jim, it'll dry

razorsharptokill · December 03, 2009, 04:58:00 PM

Should osage be cured laying flat or can it stand up on end?

Pat B · December 03, 2009, 05:24:00 PM

You can stand it on end. That's how I store all my bow wood in my basement workshop.

Roy Steele · December 03, 2009, 07:15:00 PM

There's a bow in there for sure.

Stiks-n-Strings · December 03, 2009, 08:53:00 PM

Man I love Osage!

DCM · December 04, 2009, 07:56:00 AM

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.

pappy · December 04, 2009, 09:03:00 AM

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

ron w · December 04, 2009, 09:37:00 AM

The rings look real good to me.

razorsharptokill · December 04, 2009, 11:33:00 AM

Notice how it curves up on the left end? Should I keep that and try to steam the same amount into the other end?

Dano · December 04, 2009, 12:34:00 PM

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.

razorsharptokill · December 04, 2009, 03:08:00 PM

Awesome!

Tom Leemans · December 04, 2009, 03:23:00 PM

Nuthin' wrong with billets either! I prefer them myself.

razorsharptokill · December 06, 2009, 07:20:00 PM

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?

Dano · December 06, 2009, 09:59:00 PM

Jim you can weigh it, when it stops loosing weight it's dry.

razorsharptokill · December 07, 2009, 09:45:00 AM

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?

Tom Leemans · December 07, 2009, 04:09:00 PM

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.