Which way should I go here on this Osage log

[Dean Marlow]

I got a real nice Osage log split in half with some nice snake on one end. The log is 114" long. Around 9 and a half foot. The snake looks like it will line up nice but that means I will have some short straight staves on the other end. I am going to leave one half unsplit as I just can't handle that many green staves right now. What would you do. Cut it for some nice straight staves or would you cut it for some 62 to 66" snake staves? Straight billits or snake billits?

[kerryb]

I would split them full length and remove the bark and sap wood and then make the call, you never know whats hiding under the bark and sapwood.

[osage outlaw]

I agree with what Kerryb said.  Could be insect damage, cracks, who knows under the bark. 

[Dean Marlow]

Sounds good. I will split it out and see what I have to work with. Dean

[Sidewinder]

I agree with the guys. Better to ge thte bark and sapwood off and then decide what to do.   Danny

[George Tsoukalas]

That's good very advice. Don't let the snakes bother you. Nothing to them. Jawge

[nclonghunter]

Looking at the ends they do not look sealed. Might want to paint the ends pretty soon if it hasn't been done. Nice looking staves.

[DEllis]

I have no advice for you, but if the stress is too much for ya, I'd like to have a problem like that
Good looking osage.
Darcy

[gstoneberg]

Man Dean, you are scoring some pretty wood.  I agree with the guys.  But, if everything's OK under the bark, I'd cut the snaky part off for billets so I could sister them to have good character on both limbs and make the tips line up when I spliced them.  Of course, if that were my wood as soon as the silly thing was split, hidden stress would cause a 2' side bend.    It looks like it might be large enough to split into thirds?  Very nice find.

George

[Pappy]

I would go with what kerryb said,but I would also shoot for the snake end first,thats just me.
Some like straight I like snaky.
   Pappy

[Eric Krewson]

In the first picture, the bark shows snake all the way down the log, the bark chains aren't running straight. I would split the left log right down the middle then remove the bark and sapwood. I bet you will have two snakey staves and two snakey billets.  I can get a 68" bow out of 36" billets with a 3" splice and a handle cap glued on, never had one fail.