Author Topic: Help with knotty Osage stave  (Read 2004 times)

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Offline Vgo750

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Help with knotty Osage stave
« on: April 04, 2018, 09:55:58 pm »
Well I’m looking for input on this knotty thing.  Do y’all see a bow in here?  I’m actually wanting to build this for a good buddy of mine.  The stave is 65” long.  The thinnest point currently is 1.35” wide.  The handle is 1.29” thick.  I need to get the draw out to a solid 29-30” as my buddy is 6’4”.  Wanting over 50lbs. I think I have enough wood overall but I’m just worried about the layout with all the knots.   Do y’all see a bendy or stiff handle in particular? I’m open to either.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.





Arrow pointing to middle of stave


Center a couple inches below arrow

Offline Bob Barnes

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2018, 10:27:30 pm »
Rusty Craine build "Knotty Girl" out of a stave like that...seems like he gifted it to JD Jones.  Maybe one of them will chime in and help.
Seems like common sense isn't very common any more...

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2018, 11:30:05 pm »
That's going to be a tough one to lay out.  Good luck.
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline bjrogg

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2018, 05:37:42 am »
I'm thinking that's a lot to ask out of the piece of Osage but I've been totally amazed by every osage stave I've worked so far. I think I can see a bow in there. Just not sure about 50@29. Should be interesting though. (-P
Bjrogg
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Julian

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2018, 05:58:21 am »
I'm no expert but down the bottom in your photo looks like trouble. Can't see how you'd get a tip out of that. And you don't have much length to lose.

I'll keep tabs on this! I wanna see how you go. Good luck!

Offline ntvbowyer1969

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2018, 06:31:39 am »
At that draw length i would go with a "D" style bend through the handle bow to reduce the stress throughout the limbs by adding a longer working limb. As many said its going to be tricky but it looks doable. :BB

Offline Vgo750

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2018, 09:56:58 am »
Well darn.  That’s kinda what I was afraid of. Pretty tough one.  I think I’ll set this one aside for when I’m feeling froggy vs building for my bud.  I have one other 65” stave, this ones sister, that is still pretty knotty but might layout better.  Now I do have some other pretty clean osage  staves but they are all like 60 - 63”.  I’ll just build a bendy.  Thanks for the confirmations.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2018, 10:05:30 am »
Vgo, that's a good move. There may well be a bow in there  but I don't think a 30" draw is doable with that stave.

I once helped a friend with a 33-34" draw make an osage bow.
I think we went to 72" ntn.
Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2018, 11:02:01 am »
I wouldn't touch it. I'd rather spend several hours on a bow that has a 99% chance, that one is 50/50 at best. Sure, bows are made from some nasty stuff. But most hang on racks after shooting 25 arrows. I wouldn't make an "everyday" bow from anything that gnarly.
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.

Offline Bob W.

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2018, 03:27:07 pm »
Good advice what Pearl said, you want a bow that will  make it through and last beyond the the building stage.

Offline Springbuck

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2018, 04:36:38 pm »
Sheesh.  Anything is possible, I guess.  But, those are pretty big knots and very prominent to boot. That takes a lot of wood out of the bending equation.

 Second, those knots toward the ends are really troublesome because you have to work around them, which is complicated, OR include them, which will make for some heavy limbtips, and still be complicated.

 You said the narrowest part is 1.35" wide, but you have more width than that through most of the stave, right?   

IF I was going to try that, I might actually shorten it by cutting off the worst knots at one end.   That one end with three  big knots, I can't see any way around.   Then, maybe work out the best narrow stave I could by snaking between the knots as much as possible, and including them where I had to.  You'll have to run your width lines right up onto the calluses of the knots following grain, but try not to include the actual branch part of the knot.  Then you'll have to thin and tiller by following the crown as it wanders side to side around those "roller-coaster" leans and curves.

But, you might pull off something like a 60" character BITH bow.  Alternatively, you could pull the best section out of that stave and lash or splice on stiff tips of some sort.  OR cut the thing in half, flip it around to find the best bow in the wood, and bolt it to a riser or something like that.

Offline Hamish

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Re: Help with knotty Osage stave
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2018, 07:33:26 pm »
I would make a bow out of it, but not one that draws 30".