Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bluejack on November 24, 2025, 05:25:23 pm
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I look every day but don`t very often comment here but I have a question some of you guys could probably answer. Will B and I have permission to cut a large Osage tree(how big) how about 28" in dia. Have any of you tried to split one this big?? Don`t know if we`re up to the task.
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I have split bigger. Best thing to do is cut the logos to length, paint the ends, let it sit a few months then start splitting. Sometimes ill start a split and leave it for a few weeks with the wedges in it. It will dry where the split is and open more on its own. When they get that big, you let science do some of the work for you. Even a day or two left with wedges in a split can make a huge difference. Where are yall at? You may have a few folks on here close enough to help.
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Not 28" - but I split this one. Brute force and awkwardness were my main tools.
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WEW are in western Pa. will have to split into staves-it`s too big to carry.
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A pair of broke in work gloves and eye protection are your best friends. Bring a couple pledges, 8 pounders are perfect, and as many wedges as you can, I use 8, an ax and a hatchet. Its gonna be a marathon not a race. Split it starting at the small end always, it helps the split track center better. Also, a chainsaw to start a small kerf can help start a wedge. Drink plenty of water because you WILL work up a sweat! Make the staves big and wide as you can carry, then deal with splitting those out at home. I make them 5 or 6 inches wide, then I can get a belly split stave, then split the 5 or 6 inch stave in half. Gives you 3 high quality staves when you would have only got 2. Works great.
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I've split a lot of big osage trees. The biggest yielded 109 staves plus some billets. I prefer to cut the large ones. They tend to be straighter and cleaner wood plus all the belly splits don't need cleaned up. Logs that big will usually have natural splits in them. Start there. Getting them in half is the hardest part. You will need a lot of wedges. I built a splitting stand on my sloped yard out of telephone poles. I could roll a log to the end and have it at perfect working height so I didn't have to bend over. I used a 4 and 6 lb hammer for all my splitting. I didn't like using a full sized sledge. When trying to get them busted in half, there will be stringers connecting them. Two crowbars are handy to pry them apart. I also had a long wood chisel I would use to cut the stringers deep inside. I used to split 300-400 osage staves a year. I tried to stop before I did too much damage to my body but I was too late. I'm paying for it now.
Wear safety glasses!!!!!!!!!!! I had a hammer head chip off and hit me right between the eyes. It felt like I had been punched. My nose was too sore to touch for days. If it had hit a half inch either way I would have lost an eye. Have fun and be careful.
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If anyone knows what they are talking about, its this guy ^
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If anyone knows what they are talking about, its this guy ^
Ya got that right. The Double O has a long backtrail of been there done that.
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I make the first split on the bigger osage logs with a chainsaw, after you get them in half the rest splits with wedges pretty easily. You may loose a little wood that crosses a wavy grain at the chainsaw split but spending 10 minutes apposed to up to an hour or more or so pounding wedges always looked like a fair tradeoff to me.
I always had access to a lot of osage and only split staves for myself to use so a very small loss didn't matter. I always made the chain saw split through the worst part of the log that had tight rings and wind shakes so I wouldn't be able to split the same area with wedges and sledge hammer and gain much in the way of useable wood.
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Yep Clint is the Osage king in my mind, I got a couple of them staves from that 100 + stave tree. :)
Pappy
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Here is a picture of my splitting stand. I didn’t like bending over all day working on them. I would split them into chunks small enough to handle right after cutting. I sealed the ends multiple times with glue or polyurethane. I would leave them stacked in my garage and split them down into staves when I had time. I would recommend removing the bark and sapwood while it’s fresh. It gets much tougher once it dries. Seal the backs a couple times as well. If you leave the bark on you risk borer damage. I made a log sled to pull behind my UTV. It made them slide over the ground much easier.
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I’m having trouble attaching pictures
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The sled
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Thanks for all the comments fellas. After some considerations Will B and I deceided to cut 2 smaller trees instead of the bigger one. Sounded like too much for us to handle. Thanks again !
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Thanks for all the comments fellas. After some considerations Will B and I deceided to cut 2 smaller trees instead of the bigger one. Sounded like too much for us to handle. Thanks again !
A man's gadda know his limitations.
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Sure is good to see you here Osage Outlaw.
I always enjoyed your posts.
You always had something interesting going on and following you home.
Osage knows more about cutting and preparing staves than anyone I know. He has lots of practice.
Bjrogg
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Sure is good to see you here Osage Outlaw.
I always enjoyed your posts.
You always had something interesting going on and following you home.
Osage knows more about cutting and preparing staves than anyone I know. He has lots of practice.
Bjrogg
I’m trying to check in more often. I sure do miss seeing everyone at the Marshall shoot. I’m planning on being at the classic this year.
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Me too.
That was such a good time
Bjrogg
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Ya very good to see ya back Clint, hope it works out for the Classic, love to see ya again. :)
Pappy