osage logs

[triggerfinger]

I was in ks last week so i cut 3 osage trees about 4-6 inch in dia.  I was not able to immediately seal them but did in 24 hrs, there are a few splits on the end but i cut them 8ft so I hope ill be fine.  Anyhow, should I cut em up or leave em be?  I have band saw access so no issue there. Also if I do cut them should I attempt to follow grain or no.  Should I debark them.  And finally how should I handle sealing cut edges.

[gstoneberg]

Seal the ends with wood glue or a couple layers of paint or varnish.  I always split logs in half the long way with a maul and wedges.  That establishes whether there's twist in the grain or not.  Once they've been split in half I let them season a few months.  I personally spray the bark with insecticide and leave it on.  I think it's better if you go ahead and draw knife the bark off and seal the bow back the same as the ends.  I'm just lazy.  Once the staves are almost dry I split them the  rest of the way into staves.  I almost never saw an osage log into staves.  It's very tough wood, hard on a band saw.  They cut OK green, but once dry they're really hard.

Good luck,
George

[Sidewinder]

I  Would cut some off both ends to get rid of the checking and then I would split them into staves and debark em from there. Seal the backs and ends with shellac. It works good and helps control the checking. Remember that just like an ice cube melts faster when is in smaller pieces, so does a stave dry faster when there is less wood to dry A little more work up front makes it easier when you go to make a bow with it later.Danny.

[osage outlaw]

That small of diameter will sometimes take too much backset after being split.  Keep an eye on them, if they start to curl backwards, strap them to a board to keep them straight.  I strap them to the upright posts in my pole barn.  Shellac is a good sealer also.

[triggerfinger]

  I personally spray the bark with insecticide and leave it on.  I think it's better if you go ahead and draw knife the bark off and seal the bow back the same as the ends. 

Im all kinds of confused

[triggerfinger]

I sealed the ends with elmers after about 24 hrs.  I got one that arrows straight that im super excited about, one is a bit snakey and one has a crooked end.   seems that you can look at hedge trees all day and not find 2 straight trees.
Dan

[Eric Krewson]

If you take the the bark and sapwood off now it will come off pretty easily, not so after the wood dries and hardens. For me, wood glue is has been a lousy sealer. I prefer shellac, especially when I have a bunch of staves backs to coat. Three or four coats of shellac is what I put on ends and backs.

[Bow Nut]

good to see you got you some good wood.  are you in GA yet.  I have done it both ways my suggestion is to get bark and sap wood off now.  That sap wood is no fun to remove once dry.

[triggerfinger]

Hey bow nut!  im doing a show in Atl this weekend. At the farmers market.  Im not in ga yet but will be in two weeks.

If you wanna get a beer and talk about bows i got all saturday night.

[luke the drifter]

if you have not already split your logs, check your alignment of cracks/splits in both ends.  if they line up the same way it should be an easy split and you will have straight staves.  that has been my experience.