Look what i got today

[Zion]

Hey guys, i've decided to make you all jealous of my haul today. I decided that i would find some large pieces of Ocean Spray, no matter what it took. I know of an awesome spot in which OS is the main plant, so i went there and mostly looked on slopes, in understories of large conifers. It can be very hard to find OS in large sizes, but today i discovered that they do exist. To get to the bushes i had to hike through a bunch of sharp plants, and quite a while.... but it was very much worth it. In 7 months i should have 6 new OS bows.  I also found what i think is Lilac. Here's the pics:

[madcrow]

OK, I am jealous.  Have fun with the ocean spray.  Looks like a pretty good haul.

[Badly Bent]

Knock it off with the teasing Zion  , some of us here in the midwest don't have that wood. I am working a lilac sapling now from grandma's garden into a bow for my three year old grandson, seems to be real strong wood.
You got a good haul there and I look forward to seeing what you make from it 
Greg

[Zion]

Greg, i just couldn't resist it! 

Anyway, looking at the Lilac i got it seems like it is a lot like hawthorn, especially the way it grows/the grain. I think i'll treat them the same. Does it dry well, or is it like Ocean Spray and split if you look at it wrong?

[Badly Bent]

Josh. not sure on drying. I took my little 1" sapling down on the belly side with a knife after cutting it down then threw it in the garage for a few months of summer. Then I remembered it , shaved the bark of, again with a pocket knife and started working it. There was no
checking on it at all but again it was only a 1" by 4' sapling.
Greg

[Weylin]

I'll be jealous of your ocean spray in a year if they are not full of checks.  It's one thing to cut some ocean spray it's another thing to dry it out. 
Good luck, and seal it up good.

[Zion]

Yeah, with the real nice ones i think i'll seal the whole thing, not just the ends. And in 2 or 3 coats of some kind of oil. Luckily its not summer, when you harvest it then it'll split within an hour...

[randman]

Nice bunch of OS. Now to get it seasoned without splitting . My experience with Lilac is similar to OS. It likes to split. I've had varying luck with OS. I've got a stave that's 1 3/4" dia and about 80" long that I left round and it's been well over a year now and it hasn't split even through this dry summer we've had (I've also had 1" dia ones split right off). You might have better luck with the OS if you rough it to bow shape to season (it'll dry faster also) If you do that, take it down to the pith cuz that's where it splits to if it splits on it's own. If you leave a thick or round handle when you rough it,  take special precaution to seal that handle good and keep an eye on it and shoot it full of super glue if it starts because it'll split right there where it's round.

[Zion]

Thanks for the info randman. I think with at least one of them, a thick piece with no natural reflex already, i will rough it out, seal it TIGHT, and then let it sit on a form to add reflex for a few months. I think if i add reflex to some of them, being the amazing wood OS already is, it would make a double good bow. I'm a bit wiser with OS than i was when i first used it, i let a piece sit for 7 months without sealing it at all...(but then again it is my #1 OS bow) 

[ionicmuffin]

Man oh man, i cant find any of that stuff anywhere, ive seen it before, but i just cant find it now.