First Osage Haul. How'd I Do?

[PaulN/KS]

They look great, let the wood rest in the halves for  a while.
Patience, "Grasshopper", patience...

[FRITZ 86]

Thks Paul! I'm beginning to learn that patience and building self bows go hand in hand.

[Pat B]

Patience is one of the most important tools for building wood bows but one of the hardest to learn. I know this for a fact from first hand screw-up. 
 I would not bring the halves into your controlled environment of the house. Let them find moisture equilibrium in H/R of your area for a few weeks at least before you split them down into staves. Once the are drier you can reduce to bow size staves to cure out more. At that time take a stave or two and work them down to bow "preforms", to use a knapping term, and let them dry a bit more before building a bow.

[lebhuntfish]

I'm envious brother, those are some sweet Osage halves. I hope the ones that I'm going to cut next weekend are that nice. I have been following this post and have learned a lot, thank you all for sharing all of your knowledge. Patrick

[PEARL DRUMS]

Keep them cool more than dry now. If you let them cook in a garage or shed there is a very strong chance you get laminar cracks, they can and will ruin your entire stash. Trust me....

[FRITZ 86]

Ok Pat and Pearlie I will leave them in my shop for a few wks. It doesnt get to hot this time of yr in there. By the middle of May the temps start to rise. Thks for the advice. I don't want to ruin this great wood before I even start.

[turtle]

That red streaked sage is usualy the best of the best. Great haul!

[Hamish]

1/2 splits look good. If you want to insure success against bug damage and checking I would still split them into 1/4's, remove the bark and seal the back with 2 coats of pva. 6-7" is a really good diameter for bows, by splitting into quarters you will actually remove stress, yet the quarters will be still be meaty enough to resist twisting when drying. The only drying stresses you would now get is backset, which is a desirable quality in a bowstave. I have only had ever had trouble with twisting on really small dia 2-3"  sapling staves, that got split into halves.
You don't have to take them to one growth ring yet, just get rid of the bark as they can hide bugs, buy the time the staves are seasoned you can get disappointed when you remove the bark to find holes into the heartwood.

Once you get them to this stage they will dry quicker and you can decide on a good ring, and learn how to follow one ring, at your leisure.  You can work on a unseasoned stave,  as long as you reseal the back if you working on a growth ring.
They are good staves.
                                                              Hamish

[FRITZ 86]

Thks Hamish. I will work on them some more this wk.

[PaulN/KS]

-YOU- are a lucky man. They call California the Golden State but all the GOLD is back east. 

Funny, hard to think of Kansas as "back east" but I guess it's all relative...
There was a fellow used to drive out to Mojam from the pacific north west . He'd bring yew and vine maple and trade for osage. Good trades for all involved.

[Parnell]

Wow, that looks like some beautiful Osage.  Way to go and congratulations.

[FRITZ 86]

I found this orchard while hunting on a piece of my farmer buds land. What really excites me now after hearing that these are good quality logs from you guys who know, is that there is a whole lot more from where that came from. I will be trying to bring some back every trip up there now. Thanks again for all the comments and help along the way. I will post some more pics when I quarter them and rip off the bark.

[FRITZ 86]

Finally got time to get the halfs split into quarters. Got the bark off but didn't have time to get all the sapwood off. Sealed the backs with shellac will continue to work down to one ring on the quarters as I get time. Hopefully, I can get 5 or 6 bows out of this haul.

[lebhuntfish]

Those are looking good man! I'm sure you will get some good boys out of them! Nice job! Patrick