Advice please before I cut this sucker!

[sylvatican]

Hi All,  I've a question regarding the early wood/ late wood ratio of Osage Orange.

Specifically, do the limbs accurately predict the trunk? If a small limb off the trunk has an awesome amount of latewood, will the wood from the trunk reflect this?  Conversely, if the limb wood looks cruddy, should one just walk away before wasting the time/effort and tree?

thanks for your time,

brian

[Newindian]

I would think there would be some correlation but a branch being younger than the trunk wouldn't have the eairlyer rings showing, either way Osage is Still Osage

[SLIMBOB]

Ring count, ring thickness, and ratios are all interesting debate topics, but if you got Bodark you can cut, my questions are usually, is it long enough, is it straight enough and is the bark showing that it's not twisted.  That's it.

[lostarrow]

The limbs aren't an indicator of the trunk wood.

[Bow-dark<>bow-ya]

Everybody always says how you NEED good ratio of late/early wood. Nobody give me hate mail but I haven't made one bow that had ANY ratio that ruined a bow. I haven't heard any of my buddies saying that a bow broke because of that. The only issue you run into is super tight rings and usually you can make a sapwood osage bow or back it with something. It's not any big deal for me at least to cut a tree and back it or just get the back to one ring. Everyone else can be picky but I have never heard or found any correlation between bad/slow/breaking being likely and ratio of early wood to late wood. Just my 2 cents

[Joec123able]

I don't even pay attention to ring ratio and have really no clue why anyone does. If its not twisted and doesn't have to many branches then I'd just cut it honestly especially Osage. And no one quote me and try and start an arguement

[George Tsoukalas]

If the early/latewood ratio is not good leave the bow a little wider. Jawge

[adb]

There was a lengthy debate here a short while back about thick/thin ring ratios etc., and the general consensus seemed to be it didn't matter one hoot. Both make good bows.