Spliting Osage

[Don]

I have a chance to cut some Osage ABOUT 10"-12" in diameter.
For a log that size should it be split once for two stave's or twice for four stave's?
This is my first time gathering wood for bows so I'm not sure.
I have read to leave on the bark and seal the ends. The area that has been split does not need to be seal, correct?
I have perchaced a couple of Osage stave's that is already seasoned, these have already been debarked and look like the back side is sealed.
Don

[Dano]

When harvesting osage in the summer I have found it best to debark the staves nad seal the backs, or if you don't want to debark spray them down good with an insectiside, to prevent wood borers. With a big log like 10-12" you oughta easily get four maybe more staves you might get some belly splits, always better to split them wider just to be on the safe side.

[Don]

Thanks Dano.
I'm hoping to get a couple logs this weekend and some others later this fall.

Don

[JackCrafty]

Of the few osage saplings I've cut myself, the staves checked badly.  I recommend splitting the logs and debarking right away....and storing them somewhere that's not too hot (so they won't dry unevenly).  With 10-12" diameter logs you should get at least 4 staves per log.  Seal the ends and backs.  Personally, I use wood glue to seal my staves....many others use polyurethane.  I have one mulberry stave (that I purchased) with mold under the thick layer of polyurethane...so a light coat of sealer might prevent this?  Anyway, I'm sure others with more experience will chime in....

[DCM]

I part one twice if I'm not going to process it completely, but notes about bug infestation should be taken to heart.  Then I disassemble the quarters more carefully.  Sometimes you can get 3 staves off of one of the quarters, two sometimes two but log may still only yield 8 staves at the most.  Depends upon how clean and straight it is, and how aggressive you are obviously.

[cowboy]

Good advice all, just be careful how much you cut at one time if your working it all down by yourself. It is better to get the bark off and seal the back soon. The insecticide will let you take a break from it for awhile.

[Don]

Well I ended up with only one log today. It was not as bis as I first thought.
When I split it I thought I could get 3 stave's but the first split ran out the side about 40" up.
So I split the rest in half, Debarked, drawn the white under bark [I can't remember what it is called] off.
I'm glad I only had this one, that white part was thick, what a work out.
The log is 8' long so I have a lot to work with.
After the work was done I  sealed the back with varnish and used wax on the ends.
Do I need to do any thing with the split side its self?
I may show some pictures tommarrow. I'd like to see if everyone thinks I did it OK.
Thanks. Don

[tom sawyer]

No you don't need to seal the split sides, just the backs and ends.  You got all the white sapwood off right?  That stuff will sometimes crack even when its sealed.

And yes, its a whole lot of work ain't it.  I'd maybe cut the things down closer to 6', no need to process and extra 2' that will be cut off.  My friend and I have gut five or six logs this spring/summer, I just about have everything processed and put away now.  Just a few pieces outside, nothing that was prime just stuff I can afford to lose if the wasps show up.

Looking forward to pics.

[Don]

Sapwood, thats it. New it was something simple, just couldn't remember.
Yes I did get all the sapwood off.
I just hope it's split good enough to work down when ready.
It's kind of gnarly and ragged after splitting.
Don

[DCM]

Depending upon your draw lenght, 8' of log could be made into 62" staves and 34" billets.  60" ntn is more than enough osage for flatbows of typical draw lenght, 27", 28".  The billets joined will make a 58" ntn bow, which is a challenge for 28" draw but doable, 27" draw is a piece of cake.  Obviously an extra inch or two, or less, of 8' would make a big difference on the decision to part the long staves, but it's an idea.

This one was 84".  Just joined the billets yesterday.  58" overal lenght, 56" ntn.  Got another 56" stave bow out as well.  I'm making some short draw bows so no big penalty for me.

[tom sawyer]

Splitting does leave things pretty ragged, just make sure when you lay out a bow there's enough wood on the sides all the way.  I will often clean up  the edges of a stave with a drawknife before laying out a bow, just so I don't fool myself into laying it out too close to the edge.  If you have 1/2" of thickness when you cut out the bow, you are doing fine.

Mims, you're squeezing that stave pretty hard boy.  It your last one or you planning to make your stash last and not cut anymore?  Outfitting an army of pygmies?

If your billets are short, there's always those metal sleeves they use for a take-down.  No loss of length from a splice that way.

[Don]

Here are some pictures. The end view is hard to see the rings. Wax
The stave on right in middle pic had a split, so I cut off about 12".
They both are about 2"x4". And not real straight.
I hope these will be clean enough. If so, I waite. Kind of like watching wood dry  .
If I need to do anything else, please let me know. This is the first time I've done this.
I think I'll cut some mullberry and get it drying.
Thanks. Don

[tom sawyer]

The closeup shows some very nice dense rings, looks like greater than 75% summer wood.  Stuff's a little wavy but it looks like bow wood.

[DCM]

Just inherently lazy and frugal Lennie.  Gurls and kids bows, but I still say no point in making an osage flatbow any longer than 60" for 28" draw.  Those billets were ugly as sin when I got them down to bow size.  More side to side wander than it looked like in the first pic and lots of whoop-d-do.  Put it on the caul last night and got one end fairly tamed.  Wish I had take a pic.  Good clean wood though, despite it's shape.  Rings ain't as nice as I like, but fat.  Low draw weight/lenght bows anyway.  No worries.

Don I'd bust into the ugliest one, and them are fairly ugly even by osage standards.  Clean it up sides and belly with a drawknife or hatchet or whatever.  Lay out how you want to part it, if you think you can get two quarters, with a pencil.  Then follow that plan with a good sharp hatchet, leading the split.  Then you can work the quarter down to bow size.  It will dry a lot faster that way.  3-4 weeks of careful force drying and you can be tillering a bow.  Definately take one end off, the worser end, or pick the best 6' portion of the splits to process.  You'd have to be pretty experienced, or brave, or... unwise to try to squeeze those logs for bonus billets.  If you are any or all of those things, which all work in your favor in this game in my view, we can re-assess.  Might need some more better pics though.

[Justin Snyder]

As crooked as those are I would draw a line down the back following the grain.  Then come back with a bow length straight edge and figure out where you can lay out a bow and have the string still tracking fairly close to the center of the handle.  Cut the extra off so that you don't have to bend so much to get the string where it has to be.  Justin