« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: If you could get custom sawn osage?  (Read 1533 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline wapiti1997

  • Member
  • Posts: 414
    • Joe Lacefield Wildlife and Nature Photography
If you could get custom sawn osage?
« on: November 20, 2013, 03:02:17 pm »
I have a friend that is sawing some large osage.  He asked if I wanted any for bowmaking. 
I'm thinking some 2"x2" or  1"boards might be good for making backing/risers?
I've never worked anything but a stave, how would you get some sawn?
Logged

Offline Dances with squirrels

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,222
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2013, 03:15:19 pm »
I'd get as much as possible sawn into slats, or boards that I could saw into slats myself. My preference would be for quartersawn, riftsawn, then flat sawn in that order. Boards or slats 1 1/2" or more wide and either 72 or 36-40" long.
Logged
Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2013, 03:34:51 pm »
If the 2x2's are fairly straight grained you could chase a ring on the right cut and still make a self bow. Id say 1" thick by 2" wide and no shorter than 36" for slat wood, 1/4 sawn would be best.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2013, 03:37:59 pm by PEARL DRUMS »
Logged
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Don Case

  • Guest
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2013, 03:39:08 pm »
Wouldn't it be better to get the biggest piece you can get in your truck and split it into staves? Save all those sawmill costs.
Logged

Offline wapiti1997

  • Member
  • Posts: 414
    • Joe Lacefield Wildlife and Nature Photography
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2013, 04:41:14 pm »
I have a hundred or more staves.  There is no cost, he basically asked me if I wanted some and how I wanted it.  I don't have a band saw. 
Logged

Offline toomanyknots

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,132
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2013, 07:01:53 pm »
Quote from: wapiti1997 on November 20, 2013, 04:41:14 pm
I have a hundred or more staves.  There is no cost, he basically asked me if I wanted some and how I wanted it.  I don't have a band saw.

I'd ask him for the straightest grain pieces without knots or cracks, etc. Shoot I'd just take everything he would give me, haha.
Logged
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Danzn Bar

  • Member
  • Posts: 4,166
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2013, 08:17:54 pm »
That's got me thinking ........ quarter sawed you say Pearly???   ???  That sounds like a idea to me.  Maybe Half Eye (Rich) will chime in and provide some ideas on quarter sawed osage.  I can remember any bows posted like that but I'm getting old and forgetfull these days.  Can you imagine how thin those limbs would be.....
DBar
Logged
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline Tom Kurth

  • Member
  • Posts: 29
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2013, 09:11:58 pm »
Depending on what your friend is wanting for himself, you may just ask for the center board (of whatever thickness you think appropriate) if he's plain-sawing the whole trunk. If it is fairly straight, the center cut would give you one quarter-sawn board all the way from one side to the other.

Best,
Tom
Logged
Best,
Tom

Escape to Missouri

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: If you could get custom sawn osage?
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2013, 10:18:26 pm »
  I never cared for 1/4 sawn osage but I use 1X2X72" slats all the time for backed bows. I don't like my bely slat any thinner than 3/4" because I don't like using a power lam to keep the handle from flexing. I prefer 1" think if I had someone sawing it for me. You can back osage with a lot of different woods, bamboo, maple, red oak, white oak, hickory. I would take all I could get. I will even buy some from you if you are selling any.
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »