Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Eric Krewson on September 24, 2011, 07:15:50 pm
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A tornado went through my friends farm with a domino effect on one hillside. One big tree uprooted, fell and pushed a line of others down, all up rooted.
Five or six big hickories fell, sure would hate to see them lay on the side of the steep ridge where they fell on and rot. This morning was opening day of bow season but there is plenty of season left so I went after bow staves instead of deer.
Two big pig nut trees had already died and dried up but one pig or mocker nut still had green leaves on it so I went after it. I cut two 6.5 ft logs out of the 18" trunk and started splitting.
I swung my sledge from 9:00 until 1:15 and finally got the trunks reduced into small enough sections to load on my truck.
I am too pooped to see if the bark will pull off today but will go stave up the whole pile tomorrow.
I am getting too old for this stuff, turn 64 in a month but just can't stand to see good bow wood go to waste. The splits are bigger than they appear in the picture, there sre probably about 25 staves in the pile once the big pieces are split into several smaller ones.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/osage%20cutting/hickorystaves.jpg)
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That is some nice straight hickory, Eric. Nice haul.
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That looks like some good stuff. Nice job. It's always good to see a downed tree turn into a bow
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Wow, great stuff, Eric!
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Checked the bark, stuck on like it is epoxied. Going to be some work getting it off.
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Never too old for this stuff :)
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Good stuff, Eric. This bow making stuff is good for us. Jawge
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Sounds like you need to recruit some young backs to help you with the splitting. God Bless you...Hope I can still do it when I get older....Happy Birthday next month. Nice Haul....looks like some good stuff too bad about the bark...
Jon
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Nows the time to but a couple inchs of relfex in them. Just at weight to the middle and let it hang. I like to cut them down to simi bow form and ad a cinger block or 2. With staves that big I rachet strap them down to the floor. Then just let season but spray them down with pestaside. I just get mine from LOWES.
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Score!
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That looks great Eric! Been awhile since i made a haul like that.
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Lots of future bows there !
Good haul !
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Eric, don't you have a shop full of osage? Bill
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I give you credit Eric, not too many guys your age could or would do that. I guess your love for wood motivated you. Nice job! Steve
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I'm sweatin just lookin at that pile.... Nice haul Sir!!
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After trimming and cutting to size I ended up with 20 really nice staves and a pile of firewood.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/osage%20cutting/finishedhickorystaves.jpg)
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Envious! So how are you planning on debarking?
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The cambium layer is really thick on these staves, at least 1/4". I will use the edge of the cambium layer as a guide and slice off as much bark as I can with my bandsaw set and an angle so I don't get into the heart wood. I will follow up with a draw knife. After the staves cure a little I will finish up with a scraper.
I have plenty of bark on scrap and will try an experiment on bark removal with my pressure washer just to see what happens. I have de-barked dry stuff with it before but not not bow wood.