Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: burchett.donald on March 01, 2014, 06:49:29 pm
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Got me a piece of Osage that's full of red streaks, actually mostly red...Got it from Dean Marlow and it is one awesome stick...Little wiggle of character on each end with no twist and not even a pin knot. About as nice a stave as I have seen...68" x 1 1/2". Here's a pic and wish me luck on doing this one justice...
Still racking my brain on a design for this one :-\
Don
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It'll be a deep orange once worked
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Don, that is a fine looking stave. You could build any design that comes to mind out of that one. I like the red stuff.
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Yea Howard I been looking at all kinds of beautiful bows on here and looking for ideas...Been digging around in bow of the month section...Like a kid in a candy shop...I got some ideas swirling around...
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My finishing work usually is rushed and ends up looking pretty rough, but it is hard to beat some osage sanded glassy smooth and several coats of tru oil. I admire these artisans and their work on this site too. ;) Good luck with your bow.
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Getting a stave of osage like that will make a grown man feel like a kid at christmas, nice looking chunk of wood Don.
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Yea Greg, I been sitting here drawing and measuring my profile trying to taper these snakey ends...Not used to crooked wood...Plan on cutting profile tommarrow
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JELL-US!
Of stave and weather. Sweet
Is it red from age? Does that indicate anything as far as strength of wood?
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DuBois, I don't have a lot of experience with Osage but have been told that it's somewhat denser than the lighter colored wood. I do know that the strawberry streaks throughout are beautiful. It's very hard and has a high sounding ping when I bump it with a tool...It's very different than my Hickory and Whit Oak...
Don
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Don
Looks like you have it penciled out real nice. I like to make my Osage bows 1-1/2" wide to mid limb then taper down to the tips.You could go a little narrower if wanted. The red in Osage is caused by the minerals in the soil where it grew is what I was told. But all the red Osage I ever worked with is denser for some reason. Keep going. Dean
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I used to think that darker Osage was denser Osage. I'm not convinced that is the case though. Worked a good bit of it lately. One I'm finishing now is very dark. Love the color for sure, but I honestly see little if any difference in performance over the yellow stuff personally. All things equal, two staves lying side by side, I would probably choose the darker stave simply because of the rich color once it is done. Curious to hear your take as you work through it. Nice looking stave!
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My experience with the really dark through and through osage has all been good, very dense, heavy and very resinous (makes your hands black working with it).
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That's a pretty stave!
I have never seen fresh cut live osage with dark coloring. I've seen plenty turn that color over time..
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Very pretty color on a nice stave :). Can't wait to see what you make of it.
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That is a beautiful stave! I just finished a bow from a set of billets that looks very similar to that. I'm with Eric on the dark Osage. All that I've ever worked is always harder and more dense. I'll trade that yeller stuff for the dark orange/red any day :)
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It may be more dense, my point is I cant see much if any difference in the final product. Just my opinion for what it's worth. The beauty is undeniable, but I would look at things other than color in selecting a "primo" stave. I would have been on the other side of this argument just a few years ago, as the dark wood I had worked seemed more dense than the yellow stuff, but over the last few years I have seen some "electric yellow" wood that seemed every bit as dense if not more so, than the dark wood I was working, the bow before or just after. The bow I am working on now is so dark it looks like old Osage, and the grain in it is remarkable. It's hard as a rock as well. Great piece of Osage, I just cant see much difference between it and some of the very yellow woods I've worked when it comes to judging the final product. And that's all I gotta say about that! :)
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U could check the specific gravity of each wood
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Looks sweet. Question here, on Osage that is mostly yellow in color, what are the reddish streaks that sometimes are seen running down through it? Is there any problems using such a piece of Osage?
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I get an occasional stave like that and it usually has really tight growth rings, that stave just looks a little more seasoned and it will continue to get darker as time goes on, some oil will relaly help bring out the color in that stave it looks like it could use some.
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I believe the streaks are mineral lines. Other woods get them too. That just my thought
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I worked the profile today and here's a pic of the color...My camera isn't the best and it looks darker red in person.
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I've got some red osage that I'm dying to tear into and see if it is more dense than normal osage. When I started cutting it with the chainsaw it sounded like I was cutting a steel pipe. I could tell something was different about the wood just from the sound. My Dad was helping me and he noticed the difference in sound also. Almost every stave split along a growth ring about halfway down the stave. It didn't ruin any staves. It actually helped. I left the staves big and now I think I can get two bows out of each one. It was second growth off of an old stump.
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Here's a pic of those billets I was referring to. They turned in to one of my best shooting bows.
(http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/a439/willharrison347/A181641F-20F6-4284-820C-5F23F9FE2C76_zpscoau5pbs.jpg) (http://s1035.photobucket.com/user/willharrison347/media/A181641F-20F6-4284-820C-5F23F9FE2C76_zpscoau5pbs.jpg.html)
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Beautiful Will...Did you post that bow? Here's a pic of the handle and you can see most of the top rings are red full length...
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No I haven't posted it yet, I backed it with copperheads. I'll post it soon
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Looks like a good stave to me,never had any problems with the streaks,couldn't see the rings but if they are of good ratio it should make a fine bow. :)
Pappy
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Hey Don, I made a real nice Odawa from really dark red osage, no issues what so ever. Here's some pics. The wood is very dark red even if the flash makes it look lighter. Bow is 46" draws 48#@24" have had no problems with the wood at all.
rich
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Rich,
That is absolutely gorgeous...Scallops and art work, beautiful wood...
Don
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Looks very nice so far!
I like that dark fat stuff, I'm happy I to have some of those.
IMO the best for self bows
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Looks like a great stave! I like those streaky staves. I think they are mineral lines too. Jawge
I've had some really nice bows from those darker staves too.
Jawge
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I cut some osage last year and a couple that came off a red clay hillside had those red streaks in them , also had some short red streaks in a Kentucky coffee tree last year .
I think the early / late wood ratio and lunar rings in the late wood would make more difference than color .