osage sap question

[sleek]

I have made sapwood backed bows in the past and they are great performers.  Usually the sap is a whitish cream color and while softer than the yeller stuff, still decently hard.

The stuff im working now is more yellow in color and very soft. Like, dig in with my finger nail soft. Anybody with some sage layin round, could yall check your sapwood so I can compare it to what I got now? Maybe I am just now noticing how soft the sapwood is?

[Hamish]

Sapwood is only soft when its freshly cut. When its dry its feels just like any other whitewood in its consistency. As long as its not grey or powdery it should be fine as long as the rings are fairly thick eg 1/8".
          Hamish.

[sleek]

Thanks for the reply. This is all thin ring stuff.  Im gonna give it a go anyway and see how osage sap works with thin ring. This first one is to be a narrow ( 1 1/8" ) bow 62 ttt 40@26. See how this works out.

[darinputman]

Osage sapwood with a little age on it (in my limited experience) can be an almost impossible chore to remove with a drawknife. Thankful to finally own a bandsaw.  Hopefully I'll see some of that softer stuff one day. 

[osage outlaw]

Is it fresh cut or seasoned?  Seasoned sapwood is hard and shouldn't be dented with a thumb nail

[sleek]

6 years cut.

[osage outlaw]

That sapwood should be hard.  Can you do a bend test on a scrap piece?

[Sidewinder]

I'm with Clint. Somethings up on  that. I'm wondering if what you have is the early growth on a ring. Its the late growth that you chase to. Not that you don't know that, I'm just saying. Post a pic and we can diagnose it. Maybe an end shot and the back up close should give us a good idea.

[sleek]

I will get pics tomorrow

[blackhawk]

I'd chase a heartwood ring by the sounds of it

Do you know how the wood was stored and cared for? If it was outside for any time(for example more than a couple weeks) I'd say chase a ring...sapwood on osage is like whitewood and can get easily punky(or bugs) if left to the elements