Splitting osage QUESTION?

[hedgeapple]

I found this osage up rooted from the ice storm while I was out cutting BL that had been up rooted.  The large log is 5 1/2 diameter.  The first growth ring near the white wood is 3/8" thick.  That means most of the limb's thickness will basically be one ring is that a problem or a benefit?  Here's my thoughts on how to split it to help insure that I have the thickest growth ring(s) by splitting it along the green dotted line.

Any advice is more than welcome.

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[sonny]

I'm not so sure that I'd split the smaller of the two for fear of it warping as it dries.

[hedgeapple]

Sonny, you're probably right.  By the time I take off the cellium (SP), I'm probably just going to have a 2 or 2 1/2 inch sappling, anyhow.

[Pat B]

Use the sapwood. I have made a few nice bows with osage sapwood on them. The bow that I gave KOAN last year for the Christmas trade is about 50/50 sapwood heart wood. If the sapwood is cared for properly from the stump it is as good as most whitewoods. IMO
  The grain configuration will limit how you split the logs. I would try to keep ring thickness similar on each half log when you split them. Then you will have to deal with what's under the bark when you get there.  I would give them a week or 2 then split them in half. You may want to clamp the halves of the smaller one to a form or 2x4. Seal the ends now if you haven't already.

[mullet]

 I'd do like Pat said. But instead of splitting, I'd run it through a table saw or Ban saw.

[hedgeapple]

Pat and Mullet are you talking about the small log or both?  Are you suggesting splitting them more like this?



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[Pat B]

Split them the first way. Later you can split the bigger half of the bigger stave in half.

[hedgeapple]

Thanks Pat.

[nickf]

I'm with pat

[Timo]

Have you considered your splits in correlations with any knots that are present? had to tell about that in your pics.

[hedgeapple]

Timo, I hadn't thought about knots at this point.  But I will before I smack it with wedge.  I suppose I could learn more about splitting if I gave you guys more to work with.    I'll post more pictures this afternoon.

[Hillbilly]

I would also look for how any crookedness in the log will translate to the staves. Up-and-down bends are pretty easy to correct, side-to-side ones are tougher. If I was going to split the little one, I would do it the second way if everything else worked out (knots crooks, etc.), just so I wouldn't have a peaked crown on the back of the bow.

[FlintWalker]

Those are tough staves to decide what to do with.
 There's a reason why the heart is off to one side like that.  The side with the thinner rings was under tension and the thick side was under compression.  If you split it the first way the thin side will draw into a bunch of reflex.  If it was a bigger log, the thick side would be straight or deflexed, but since they are both small, there's a good chance that both halves will draw a reflex.  If you split it the second way, I'm afraid it'll want to pull a sideways bend on you. 
  If it was mine and the bark ran straight with no twist...I'd saw it right down the middle of the stave...not the heart.  I'd do it like the first pic... just in the center.   That way you have plenty of wood in both halves.   Leave the bark and sapwood on it for a while and seal the belly, especially on the little one.  Now all this is just my opinion, so don't take it for fact.    
 Some pics of how the bark runs would help. 
 Most of them I cut that small, split with a bunch of prop twist and end up as fire wood   I hope these turn out better for you. 

[hedgeapple]

Here are better picture of the whole logs.  Thank you guys for so much help.

The shellac dried a bit pasty in spots.



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[hedgeapple]

Here's the other end and the other side.

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