sapwood on osage selfbow

[b.glass]

I've read about it. I know that sapwood on a yew selfbow is good and that you can strip the bark off a fresh white wood stave and make a selfbow. I have never done either of these. It seems I've read that some sapwood on osage is ok. What is your experience.

The staves I have, have darker sapwood than any others I have seen and it is hard. Below the thick sapwood the rings get quite a bit thinner.

I should post a picture, yes?

[Osagetree]

Here's a couple osage bows with the mostly white wood left on,,, even a little bark at the handles! These were from limbs though!

[Pat B]

Very cool bows, Joe. I love osage sapling(limb) bows!
 Bona, I have made osage bows with all sapwood, 50/50 sap/heart wood, heartwood with a few rings of sapwood and all heartwood. All made good bows. The more sapwood you use the thicker the bow will be.

[George Tsoukalas]

NIce bows. The best scenario is take off the sapwood. If there is not enough then get as close to the heartwood as possible as the sapwood will be stronger.  Jawge

[Curt Brisky]

I made a 50" Osage recurve and left a thin layer of sapwood on.  The draw weight is 65@26. It has held together for two years. No sinew just sapwood.  This years sapwood is next years heartwood so Ed Scott says.

[Osagetree]

Pat you're right, these bows were saplings and not limbs! Sapling sisters as matter of fact.

[b.glass]

I would expect a bow with sapwood to take more set. Dose making them thicker counteract this?

"Very cool bows", were exactly my thoughts Pat!

[Osagetree]

B.

Though these bows were only in the 45 to 50 lbs range they did not seem to take on anymore set than all heartwood osage bows. I usually make my bows around 62" and these were 66".

Here's a link to the thread done awhile back.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003027;p=1

[DVSHUNTER]

I recently made a bow for a man in TX with thre thin layers of sapwood on it. It pulled 60@29 and was 66ntn. It shot well and took an inch and a half of set. He was pleased. I can't wait to see it once the osage darkens.

[John Scifres]

Wider, rather than thicker will reduce set.