osage stave question????? New pictures

[gstoneberg]

You did well, good job.  I would split that top one again and see how the split goes around the knot.  You might get a very interesting stave there.  As long as the other half makes a good stave worst case you can either do a real short sinew bow (cutting off the knot) or have a billet to mate up with another similar piece of wood.  You will get others like that, I guarantee it.  Splitting up staves when the wood is interesting is almost as fun as making bows.  I'm glad you listened to Pappy and not me too.

George

[beetlebailey1977]

I put elmers white glue on the back of the bottom sister stave I split off.  Will it work good or should I use Varnish.  I couldn't get any shellac.  Also should I stick it up in my attic to dry?

[gstoneberg]

Is the stave still green?  If it has been seasoned over a year I'd do nothing to the bottom stave but build a bow out of it.  I know other people seal all their bow backs, but I don't.  Elmers should work for a sealer though if you're concerned about checking.  This time of year, putting your stave in the house might dry it faster than in the attic.  I dried many staves in my barn hay loft so I'm sure the attic would work fine.

George

[beetlebailey1977]

Yes it is green it was cut om 10-8-2010

[Pat B]

The belly split will check if not sealed. Keep it in your house, it will dry faster there this time of year. Elmers glue will work fine to seal the back.

[gstoneberg]

Pat's right, a green stave needs to be sealed.  I should have said I don't seal my seasoned stave backs.  I certainly seal the green ones.  It will check quickly so don't put it off.

George

[Pappy]

Glue is fine,I always seal them if they are less than a couple of years old on a belly split or even when I debark the top,ant worth the chance. Nice job on splitting the belly.
   Pappy

[beetlebailey1977]

Thanks Pappy...when I saw your response I went out and split it off.  It split very easy.  I thought that it would from looking at the grain and the rings but I was not certain.  Thanks again.

[beetlebailey1977]

Ok I removed the bark off of the stave and split it where a crack had already formed prior.....I ended up with a narrow stave and a wider one that all the knots stayed in. It was best I did it this way because the crack ran almost full length and had been there for a while because the wood was a lot darker there. I will post pics tomorrow. Do I need to remove all of the sap wood for drying or can I leave some on?

[kerryb]

The sap wood will remove much easier now, The dryer it gets the harder it is to remove.

[JW_Halverson]

You can bank on Kerry's word there.  He debarks more osage in a day than I will use in a lifetime!!!  Won't stop me from trying though!

Good luck with that wood, beettle, it looks like some prime stuff.

[Pat B]

It is best to take the sapwood off. Even with sealing it can check and checks in sapwood are likely to travel into the heartwood. Once you get the sapwoof off seal the heartwood back as soon as possible.
  If you decide to leave the sapwood on seal it 2 or 3 times with Elmers.

[Pappy]

If I am going to take the bark off,I always take sap wood also like Pat said it will check and go into the heart wood. Just get it to yellow wood and seal.
   Pappy

[beetlebailey1977]

OK thanks I will take all the sapwood off.  I did that on the narrow stave....it is tough work but not to bad.

[George Tsoukalas]

beetel, you got some great advice from world class bowyers. I've said this before. I wish I had this site when I stated. BTW I make a 50 # osage bow from an 1.25 inch sucker that was mostly sapwood. It doesn't take much psage to make a nice little bow. Have fin. Jawge