Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stick Bender on February 15, 2017, 01:10:50 pm
-
Found this Nice ring osage tree in one of the most heavily traveled areas in the midwest you never know where you can find hedge ! got more to cut but looks like I will get some nice staves & billets !
-
More pics !
-
Looks like some good stuff - nice rings.
-
The outer rings look dark red. There should be some good bows in there. Nice haul.
-
Nice find!
-
nice find, ,, congrats,, :)
-
Some day I will trade in the ramrod straight ash and elm I am used to and try osage. Nice find.
-
Still have to go back to get the straiter wood but need to bring a poll saw Im not as agile to climb trees and cut as I used to be ! I never have split wood other then fire wood so any pointers would be welcome I have a chain saw a maul and 2 wedges for splitting tools . I also have a band saw that I can cut up to 19 in. Tall, split one side saw the other type thing ?
-
Is it dead or in winter dormancy? How'd you get permission to cut it?
-
It was dormant the property owner gave me permission !
-
When you go to split it look at both ends to see if there are any natural splits in it. If there is, put a wedge in it and go from there. If it doesn't have any natural cracks go to the small end and split it in half. I like to work the split down both sides of the log. It takes more than 2 wedges to do that usually. The split will always go to the dead center of the growth rings. Keep that in mind when you start the split on the end. It doesn't take a full size sledge to split osage. I use a 4 lb mini sledge to do all my splitting. Seal the ends and back if you take the bark and sapwood off.
-
Nice find! You should be able to get some more billets and some pretty nice staves from what's left. Oh how nice it would be if osage could survive up here... but at least there's some whitewood to pick from!
-
Old Clint's got the routine down.
-
If any body knows it's Mr Clint does I appreciate it ,well I was wondering if I made up a bunch of wood wedges to go with my 2 metal ones that would work for me ?
-
If any body knows it's Mr Clint does I appreciate it ,well I was wondering if I made up a bunch of wood wedges to go with my 2 metal ones that would work for me ?
Wood wedges should work well. I have a bunch I made up and I use them in conjunction with my metal wedges to split staves.
-
Nice find! Jawge
-
you can never have too many wedges or staves,, right :)
-
Looks like some good Osage there. Nice rings. Wedges are cheap and can't have too many.
-
I use wooden wedges too. But be aware: Hard dried Osage wedges are pretty slippery and like to JUMP out of a log when you hit them.
Jim Davis
-
I ordered 2 more metal ones and I will make up a few wood ones also, what amazed me about osage when cutting it ,is the amount of moister it is still holding in the middle of February. & I put a brand new chain on the Still saw before cutting & brought a extra saw glad I did for a rank ameture like me I got the saw stuck a couple of times & the spare saw came in handy but hunting down & cutting your own hedge is a lot of fun felt like a kid on Xmas !
-
That nice vertical length above looks like it has a lot of twist in it.
-
Yes it does, noticed that also but those shorter billet sections look fairly strait most of what I got out of this tree was shorter billets or peaces for sinew but got 2 longer ones also !
-
I ordered 2 more metal ones and I will make up a few wood ones also, what amazed me about osage when cutting it ,is the amount of moister it is still holding in the middle of February. & I put a brand new chain on the Still saw before cutting & brought a extra saw glad I did for a rank ameture like me I got the saw stuck a couple of times & the spare saw came in handy but hunting down & cutting your own hedge is a lot of fun felt like a kid on Xmas !
Just about any time of the year I've cut osage I will see sap flowing out of it. Taking a second saw is a good idea. The way osage grows it's hard to judge which way the tension is when you cut it. I get saws stuck pretty often, even on trees that have fallen already. Some times I'm able to use my splitting wedges to free it up.