Investing in the Future w/ Osage

[dliepa]

I grew up shooting an old Bob Bear re curve in my backyard, hit two nice deer (beautiful bucks) in my teens, but did not find either one. It was really tough losing them, because I thought I made good shots in each case, and I was a bit disenchanted with bow hunting at the time. I took a hiatus from bow hunting, for close to 15 years, while I went to college and started a family. I'm back, having the best hunting success of my life over the past few years, and feeling a need to redeem myself and reconnect w/ bow hunting. This is my first post, and I've been back at the range, getting my bearings and learning to shoot a bow all over.

Just this week my father asked me to assist him with a log-cutting job in which he wants to collect some Osage for various woodworking jobs he has going at home. He noticed that a farmer friend of ours had started bulldozing some trees that he immediately recognized as Osage and asked if we could haul some away, rather than just get pushed into a large brush pile. The farmer gave us permission to "cut all we want" from the Osage that is destined to be destroyed. I have not seen it yet, but I immediately thought of the possibility of using some of it for making bows.

Though I have a strong background in woodworking, and a desire to follow-though on this, I need some help with how to begin. I have at my disposal, the chance of a lifetime, a nice supply of Osage. I would welcome any tips for how to proceed.

It is my understanding that I need to harvest the wood with the bark on, and let it cure for approximately 2 years, before I begin to work with it. I'd welcome any suggestions as to what pieces to seek out (the trees apparently range in size from small to 24" in diameter), how to store it, and what to look for in finding the right wood.

Humbly yours,

Dain

[Timo]

Dain, Welcome back to archery, and bow building.

Many pages could be written here on  the different ways to handle osage.

There is no EASY way.

Of course you want to look for straighter wood,no major limbs/knots.Six footers are good enough for most bow projects but don't overlook smaller length stuff. Once on the ground try to at least get it split into halves or quarters,Seal the ends well with wood glue,shellac,paint, anything that will seal in/out moisture. Once home you can split it into individual staves.

Store in a dry place where air can circulate. I assume you will leave the bark on, so unless you want the wood wasp to have their way with it you will need to spray the bark with some bug deterant(annually).I used to use diazanon, but now I just get the bark off before long term storage. Of course once the bark is off then there is the whole sealing the stave thing you have to do.

Much work.

[Eric Krewson]

If you take the bark off you have to take the sapwood off as well. Sapwood dries much quicker than heart wood and will develop cracks that will continue deeply into the heart wood and ruin your stave. Even if you remove the bark and seal the sapwood very well it will still crack.

[Timo]

Eric, thanks for adding that about  sapwood removal. I just take it for granted when I say "remove the bark".In my mind that means sapwood also. I forget about those who have never been there.

[shamus]

]thoughts on drying/seasoning wood: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/08/drying-and-seasoning-wood.html

Evaluating osage:  http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2009/10/evaluating-osage.html

Hope that helps.

[radius]

look in the how-to section:  i think it was Timo who did an osage "split-along" a few months ago...be very worthwhile for you.

[dliepa]

Oh man, thanks for the excellent, timely information, fellas. I really appreciate it.

I have ordered some books but I think this forum is going to be hard to beat. I might have a few follow-up questions, but this is a treasure of information to get me started.

I'll let you know how the harvest goes in a couple of weeks.

All best,

Dain

[The Gopher]

Dain, where are you from? I don't live in osage country so i know i'm not close to you, but the chances are pretty good that someone on here is close to you. Why do i bring that up? Bowyers will do some outrageous things to acquire bow wood, especially osage, if there is some here that is close to you and he has the prospect of getting some osage too, i'm sure he'd be willing to help you out. you will learn a ton, you will both get some wood, and maybe a new bow building friend too.

Outrageous Bow-wood: this last Christmas at my folks house in ND, i walked about 1.5 miles each way in a complete white out blizzard to cut a few pieces of very marginal chokecherry...and i had fun doing it