Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: FRITZ 86 on February 27, 2014, 11:17:37 am
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I'm gonna try to cut and split some osage next month and was wondering if it is acceptable to snap a line and score the log with a saw to make my splits more uniform? I've never cut or split osage, but this is how I treat my hickory logs. Thanks for the help in advance.
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I've never had the pleasure of splitting osage, but I don't think it's difficult judging by tales from others. Therefore, I don't think a kerf is necessary. A kerf can be cut carefully with a chainsaw or skill saw, and creates a weak spot for the split to follow. Elm (which I have split), on the other hand, can give it up a little easier by cutting a kerf. Just remember, if you cut a kerf, you will likely violate grain. Try it first without.
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I never do. I split it all out the hard way. Its the only way to get the most from each log in my opinion.
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i totaly agree with pearl osage isnt that hard to split,a log will tell you alot of times by looking at what it has started to do on the ends where to start your splits.
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A maul and a couple wedges gets the job done nicely. U can't to follow the grain. By scoring it ur cutting into the grain pattern.
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So its not necessary to kerf it just check the ends to see which way it want to be split, right?
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Yup
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Thanks for the help.
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Hand split all the way. If you cut a kerf you will more than likely violate the grain and that is bad news. Osage splits pretty easy unless its snakey or has a lot of other character.
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Osage isn't the straightest growing of trees. Sawing will give you nice looking straight staves, but if the osage has twist you are going to violate grain. If you split it, the split will run with that twist, and it may take some correction later on but it will result in a higher quality stave.
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Splitting the staves along the grain makes the strongest staves. Scoring and splitting straight is like using a board.
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I think elm is the best candidate for the kerf treatment since the grain is so snarly (and it tends to grow fairly straight). I tried the kerf with black locust and osage the first time I split them, and although I did get usable staves, I would have gotten more with normal splitting.
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That makes sense Pat. I guess it works well with my hickory because the grain usually runs pretty straight.
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You have to examine the bark real well before cutting any bow wood. If the bark shows twists or swirls the wood under is doing the same thing. I think the only wood I would kerf(I never have kerfed bow wood) would be elm because the grain is so interlocked its difficult to split.
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I split by hand , I do use the chainsaw to start stubborn logs.
When they split straight but have those stubborn fibers crisscrossing I use a saw for them to help along .
I do have some that I will use a bandsaw to split but the log split straight and I don't want a tearout to ruin one .
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I cut my bow shape out with a band saw but only after splitting the stave out so I know where the grain runs. To prevent tearouts I start my splits in the center of the stave and work out to each end.
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I cant tell you how many straight barked osage staves I chased clean only to find wiggles and turns underneath. NEVER trust yellow wood bark, it'll lie to you more than Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun!
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Absolute no no to saw a Osage log. You can not tell how the grain runs by looking at the bark or how straight the log is.Get the ax and wedges out and start splitting.
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Let me rephrase this , I have several staves split down and belly splits taken off , I will remove the sapwood before I use the bandsaw ( the staves are about five inches wide or wider and just over two inches thick with the sapwood roved ) so I can see any changes in the way the grain runs .
And the ones I use the chainsaw on I'm fallowing the split and not getting ahead of it , just cutting the those stubborn spots that try to tare over or just hanging tight .
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Splitting is the way to go for sure. The wood will let you know what it wants to be that way. I'm with Pearl on not trusting the bark on Oaage. Ive had what looked like perfectly straight logs, only to bust out staves fit to go on the front of a plane.
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I cut osage alone, sometimes I put large trees on the ground and have to haul the quarters a long way back to the truck. On large trees, out in the middle of nowhere, my first split is done with a chainsaw, it is wedges and a sledge after that initial cut. The first split is the toughest and I prefer to spend 5 minuets with my chainsaw instead of up to 45 minutes banging on wedges. I cut whenever I find osage and get permission to cut, this almost always ends up in 95 degree weather so the chainsaw split is a much better option.
I find I occasionally cut through a snaky grain with my saw but width of my staves I can just about always compensate for the violation by moving the bow blank over a little on the stave.
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Did it once and like others stated lost staves violating the grain. I hand split everything :D