character osage?

[wapiti1997]

This is a split from reducing a stave.  I thought there might be enough there for a bow?  Asking the experienced here what the best approach would be?



one end is wider than the other, the narrow end is about 1" it's 1 3/4 in the middle and 2 1/2" wide on the big end. The stave is 77" long, with one end more snakey than the other.
 It has some good sized rings to chase.



It has a "dippey doo" almost dead center that  I thought might work as a thumb groove or arrow shelf?  I'd like to know how you guys would approach this one, if at all?


I don't have a bandsaw, and I have other staves to work before tackling this one.  It doesn't have much if any prop twist, just snakey twisted grain.

My plans for this one is to skin it with copperheads ( if it survives tillering and shooting in), and use some antler overlays from a shed of a 185" buck I missed a couple of years ago.  I would name it "Heartbreaker"..

I haven't made my first bow yet, I've chased some rings on staves successfully, and put back over 100 staves of mostly osage, but some ERC, maple, black walnut, sassafras and KY Coffetree.

Before I read and saw so many beautiful bows here, I would not have considered this particular piece of any value for a bow, was my first assumption the right one?

[Trapper Rob]

That is going to make a sweet looking bow blackhawk will probably jump on this one looks like a blackhawk special.
Rob

[bcbull]

That will make a dandy i see a lil heat bendin you have plenty of wood do it all with hand tools slow n easey bro good luck

[Pat B]

If this is gonna be your first bow set it aside and build a few before you tackle it. There is plenty enough wood to build a hunting weight bow, good rings and no twist so many problems you'd get from a snakey bow don't exist with this one.

[blackhawk]

I would build 50 bows minimum before picking that stave back up to make a bow seeing how you've never made a bow before. Then you will be able to do that stave justice IMHO.

And if you don't want it id be glad to do ya a favor and take it off hands ...jus lemme know what ya want for it 

[Lee Slikkers]

I would build 50 bows minimum before picking that stave back up to make a bow seeing how you've never made a bow before. Then you will be able to do that stave justice IMHO.

And if you don't want it id be glad to do ya a favor and take it off hands ...jus lemme know what ya want for it 

Wapiti, he knows of what he speaks...all good advice here.  I would only caution you that IF Blackhawk gets that stave in his hands you will see a bow come to life that will haunt your dreams and you may very well regret that HE made that bow and not you (don't ask me how I know this... )

[wapiti1997]

Yes. Pat, that is the plan.  I have a couple of osage staves that are straight and clean as well as maple staves to "practice" on.  This one and the "fat" sister it was split from will be done after I gain some experience in tillering and develop that feel.  IMO, the look of skins on a curvy bow far exceeds that of a staight one. 

This particular log did not indicate any "snakeyness" through the bark pattern.  It was on the edge of a field with a good crown, so I knew it would have great growth rings.


I have debarked/removed sapwood from about half of the sections, and it has yielded 15 staves so far.

[AH]

I might try to get a snaky ELB.  I think that'll look cool, all the snaky bows I've seen have been flat-limbed.

[wapiti1997]

I thought it was an unwritten "rule" that osage was supposed to be made into hunting bows??? 

[IDreamofOsage]

Those are some good looking Osage staves. Good luck with them.

[coaster500]

Sweet looking stock!!!!

[sleek]

Id keep that in my special pile if I were you. See osage holds a special value to folks. Its so hard to find a straight peice that some folks who want straight ones will pay a good bit for it. An then there is the other extreem, some folks really like the very crazy staves, and often times, osage doesnt get that crazy with so few knots, and therefore, again, its worth some money ( I keep saying that word, I should say, some good trades ) to those who like them. Sometimes, they will go for several hundred dollars if you get a really crazy one, crooked as a lightning bolt. 

I would say that it doesnt require 50 bows to be good, but rather, it does depend on how good your first, say, 10 are. Point being the same, practice first... and I know you wont run out of 'sage for a bit....  Have fun bud!

[Pappy]

Beautiful stave,good advice on putting it bad till you have a few under your belt,then take it slow and it should turn out a fine hunting bow. 
   Pappy