Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Cloudfeather on June 30, 2015, 07:43:38 pm
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I have this Osage stave that is a little over 70" long, 4 inches wide down to 3 1/2 inches wide. About 3 inches thick at one end and a little over 2 inches thick at the narrower end. I'm pretty sure I can get two staves big enough for hunting bows from it. Should I chance it or just go for one bow from it? If I recall correctly, the log that this stave came from split very easily and right down the line where I was splitting it. Thoughts?
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I would split it starting at the small end .
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I say go for it. I got some good advice on how a few weeks ago. it really helped.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,52655.msg714031.html#msg714031
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Thats not even a question for me. It would already have been split. START AT THE SMALL END ALWAYS!
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Tried to split it, was unsuccessful. Silver lining: It ended up splitting off about a third of the width of the stave and saved me a lot of draw knife work.
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I'd use my band saw and follow a drawn centerline that follows the grain.
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This is after the fact but I would have core split a stave off the belly then drawn a line following the grain down the center of the stave and cut it on a band saw, Vola, three staves.
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Same as Eric. :) O well at least you got one out of it and that's better than the out come could have been. :) Looks like a nice piece of wood. :)
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I have had good luck splitting osage staves. Anything over about 3 1/4" I will usually split. Once in a while it doesn't work out as planned but I still end up with one good one even when that happens. Anything besides osage I saw. On the belly splits I have a lower success ratio in getting 2 good ones but it still saves some draw knife work.
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The narrow end was only about 2 inches thick, that's the only reason I didn't try to get a belly split off of it. No band saw, otherwise I'd have done it up proper.
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Oh well atleast you got 1 nice piece of wood out of the deal as said above could have been worse. Its amazing how acurately you can pop a belly split off a big osage stave like that once you've seen someone do it or done it your self. I usually clean up sides a bit so i can follow the ring i want the split to pop at and then using every single flat wedge shaped tool i have or can make i start tapping them in at that ring all around the stave and after a little work they just pop right off usually without any issues. Something to try on your next big stave.
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I made myself a box full of mini splitters for belly splits. 1/2" wide by 1/8" thick and about 4" long. I just ground a wedge on the ends and it works pretty good for accurate belly splits.
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I have posted this picture before; I do a lot of billet splicing and save the wedges for belly splitting.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/bow%20making/osagewedges.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/bow%20making/osagewedges.jpg.html)