Osage Delamination

[Woodland Roamer]

I've always had a problem with osage staves cracking down the side after they are well seasoned. I have some staves that have been cut for two years now and the cracks will run right down a growth ring like they are delaminating. Does anyone else have this problem and know if anything can be done about it? If the stave is split wide enough and the cracks dont run in deep enough I guess it wont matter because they will be trimmed off when the profile of the bow is cut out but I dont want to split staves wider than I have to since I would get fewer per log. Those osage logs are mighty rare for me to come by!

Alan

[koan]

I've seen a couple do that. They usually have a large amount of spring growth. Might try sealing the side of your staves too, take longer to dry, but would be worth it....Brian

[El Destructo]

has the Bark and all the Sapwood been removed?? I have never had one split if prepared right before storage

[Woodland Roamer]

Brian, you could be right about that, I'll look and see if those have a larger amount of springwood than the ones that didn't split and maybe I'll try sealing the sides too next time.

Yankee, the problem I'm having is on the sides of the staves not on the back.


Alan

[Pat B]

Alan, it could depend on how the wood was collected also. If the tree was blown over in a storm or grew in an unprotected and windy area that could cause the delamination between late growth rings.
I have an osage stave that Tom B gave me at the camp-o-rama last year. I was looking at it the other day and saw checking along the side of the stave. Until I get into it I won't know what to expect as far as how they will effect a bow. Pat

[Hillbilly]

Alan, like Pat said, that sounds like wind shake.

[Tom B]

sorry Pat. I was hoping to see one of your beauties come from that.tom

[Pat B]

Tom, I ain't gave up yet.  There is at least one bow in that stave.     Pat

[Pappy]

I have seen that if you split them to narrow when you are preparing the stave's I usuall
leave them large enough for at least a couple of bows to start with and split them down narrower after they have seasoned a while.
   Pappy

[Woodland Roamer]

Yeah Pat, these were cut in Kansas hedgerows so they have a lot of wind shakes in them but I think these checks down the side are a something a little different. I think next time I'll do like Pappy and spilt them a bit wider until they have seasoned a while.

Alan

[DCM]

I don't see it frequently, but I've seen it.  I always assumed it was related to tension between the two growth rings, as if the tree had grown straight and then fell over and continued to grow.  On the one or two I've seen, the tree way leaning considerably when I cut it.  You can get some crazy reation wood that way, but it is sometimes so crazy it's difficult to use.