Belly Splitting (on osage) not due to over eating

[DV IN MN]

I cut some osage this summer split and sealed leaving the sap wood on. My thought was that I would try and split some belly staves, as well as have some additional staves if I use the sap wood. Two problems doesn't work real well leaving the sap wood  on. The staves have been in the basement for aprox 1.5 months and cracks running in the sap wood. Shaved off 4 staves and re-sealed. Some of the staves with the sap wood do not have splits. The growth rings are very tight in the first 1/2 in 10+ and I thought I would split just blow the rings and keep them with the sap wood and use the belly for a regular bow. My split did not work and ended up draw shaving. So how does on belly split.

[osage outlaw]

I'm not sure if I understand your problem totally, but here is how I have been splitting belly staves from the big osage tree I am working on.  These pics were posted in that thread.

I like to lay out how I want to split it with a marker first.

[Del the cat]

I find that when I hit the marker with a sledge hammer it just squishes .
Del

[moho]

I must be tired thats the ufnniest thing i've heard all day.  got a good laugh

[Pappy]

Nice job on them splits Osage Outlaw,don't get much clearer than that. DV,I never
leave the sap wood on if I remove the bark.It will almost always will do just what yours did if you leave the sap wood,it will split/check and will usually go down into the heart wood,so I take it off and seal the back or leave the bark on until I am ready to use it. Less risky to take the bark and sap off and seal,that way no bugs,but I still usually leave it on.
     Pappy

[JW_Halverson]

I find that when I hit the marker with a sledge hammer it just squishes .
Del

Bloody crude Tommy!  Use a smaller hammer!  Duh.

[DV IN MN]

Del that was funny. I guess my question is do you just start the wedge on the ring on an end either above or blow depending on your prospective and start the split on the end and then just run it from end to end putting wedges along each side?

Pappy learned that lesson well. I was hoping to save the sap wood and make a bow with it and the very thin rings along the outer edge. Guess that is not in the picture.

Osage OL: I have been following your progress nice job. You and your brother looked like healthy gentlemen and I was waiting for you two to strap a rope around each end and just lift and carry it out. Ha! my 16 yr son and I did that with 2 15"x8' pieces and carried them about 1/2 mile 1 at a time over 07/04 90 plus deg. I thought we were going to die. My son wished I had. I just told him wait tell 2 a days.

[Prarie Bowyer]

I must be tired thats the ufnniest thing i've heard all day.  got a good laugh

I laughed also.

[osage outlaw]

I try to start the split in line with the growth rings on the end.  Sometimes it will follow a single ring all the way down the stave and sometimes it will jump several rings and be worthless.  It just all depends on the piece of wood.  I think someone on here split off a belly piece by tapping a flat screwdriver in the spring growth of one ring down both sides of the stave and then popping it in half.  I can't remember who it was, but they did a great job on it.

Posting pictures of what you are having a problem with is a great way to get help on here.  Best of luck with your osage.

[Primitive1]

Wow, that's interesting, by the looks of it I would have figured that 'near core' split on that large stave was marked and there were two cuts made with a circular saw...and then 'popped' out with wedges...perhaps a little more waste but I figure it would be more controlled and one heck of a lot easier than beating on staves all day long!  Or 'squishing', whatever the case may be...

[osage outlaw]

I never use a saw when splitting osage, only wedges.  I like to let it split where it wants to.