Osage Harvesting Advice

[ShinneryOak]

I have access to a huge windrow of Osage on our family place (nearly a mile by 50 yards deep). I have scouted it many times but most is so gnarled and twisted it seems useless. I finally cut the best sapling I could find but when split, it propeller twisted nearly 90 degrees over 4-5 ft. Someone here suggested cutting it in billets and offsetting the twist that way. Finally threw that one out long ago but am going back this weekend. Is it worthwhile to harvest even if it's that twisted? Noticed a recent post about steaming out twists in osage too. Any words of wisdom? I never tried the billet trick but might this time. Would appreciate details about that and steaming.

[Dean Marlow]

I love billets. They are a little more work getting them ready to glue together but are worth it. Why I like billets is you have more uniform growth rings running up the bow blank. You have probably noticed where the growth rings are usually wider towards the but of the log then get narrower running up the log. When you use side by side billets the ring structure will run a little more uniform up the glued up stave. Plus if you are buying your wood they will usually run a little cheaper than a full length stave.

[DanaM]

Osage takes heat nicely, its amazing how easily it straightens. I would cut a bunch of the cleanest wood and set it aside to dry
for awhile. Then start making bows

[ShinneryOak]

Dean. for a twisted stave, would you cut it in half ,then splice those at a different angle at the handle? If so, how do you match the growth rings? DanaM, what point in the process  would you try to straighten it-stave, roughed out, etc.

[bcbull]

like dean say s the billetts are great  i personally  use a z splice   but any splice would probly work   and   a lot of good bow wood is wated cuz a lot of guy s think they gotta have a fulk
l legth stave   so my adVise to you cut  the good ones  u can find start dryin and do not forget to seal the end s soon as you cut em   if ya have to heat and bend a bit either befor or after  osage takes heat reallly well so no worries  there BROCK

[DCM4]

I have the exact same scenario, a 100 year old hedgerow all grown together in the canopy.  Keep looking and eveually you'll find a straight tree.  If you'll look for one 30 or 40 years old or so more than likely you'll be able to get it out even if you have to cut the top out of the rest.  I don't shy away from billet wood, and some twist is not a problem.  But with as many trees as you have, you'll find a few good candidates.  I've started looked in areas at the edge of the row, or other small stands of timber nearby.  Usually if there is an osage hedge row the surrounding country will have some trees in it too.

[Dean Marlow]

Shineryoak look at the end of the log you cut and when you split it the growth rings usually run  close to the same in thickness. Now when you split lay the 2 split pieces side by side and the growth rings are just about identical in thickness. Glue those ends together and the rings will be very close in thickness on both pieces on the end you glue together and on the end of the blank also. I hope that answered your question. Dean

[ShinneryOak]

Dean, Thanks, If I'm reading you right, take both sides of a half split log and splice the butt ends together to get enough length. I guess you could do it with quarter splits of a bigger log too.