Author Topic: Brittle osage  (Read 1647 times)

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Offline sleek

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Brittle osage
« on: October 01, 2017, 05:28:40 pm »
Anyone ever come across some osage that seems very brittle and more likely to crack and break into pieces than make the nice long splits it makes when chasing a ring or reducing it? I have a few that are doing that and am concerned about what kind of bow it can make.

It also seems to be easier to snap pieces than bend them like normal.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline sleek

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2017, 05:34:03 pm »
I should add, its form a several hundred year old tree and the darkest red I ever saw osage age to...
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline Badger

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2017, 06:20:50 pm »
  I would treat it like normal osage. It is probably very dry. If it doesn't work maybe it was just no good. I have thought the same thing before you are talking about and it always works out ok. 

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2017, 08:11:14 pm »
maybe let it hydrate outside,,
and maybe start with overbuilt design at first,,
I will add, I just finished a bow from old stave very dark,,my sharp rasp was barely cut it, very rock hard,,made a nice bow with very thin rings,,
« Last Edit: October 01, 2017, 08:19:44 pm by bradsmith2010 »

Offline sleek

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2017, 08:23:47 pm »
Thanks for the replies guys. It may be very dry, its been cut 3 years now. But its been kept inside since, so, never cooked in a car or anything. I will just carry on, but leave it wide, and dtop poindage a bit. Here is a pic of it. Its crazy dark, almost chocolate.
Tread softly and carry a bent stick.

Dont seek your happiness through the approval of others

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2017, 09:01:25 pm »
thats the color mine was,, beautiful,, bet it makes a great bow,,

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Brittle osage
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2017, 07:35:14 am »
Osage is osage, every piece is different, I have cut some that splits with no stringers green and some that you have to cut almost solid stringers with an ax to get it apart.

I have worked buttery wonderful osage and stuff that splintered so easily you have to work very slowly, always changing the direction I worked my drawknife when it started to splinter.

Yea, there is splintery stuff out there.