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Osage wood borers (Update: There's a Bow under them holes! NEW PICS!)

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Osagetree:
A good friend sent me a osage stave to make him a bow out of. I did not notice it was full of borers when I laid it on my osage drying rack a couple weeks ago. Do you reckon my staves will be infested now? I hope not.

I hate to see such a nice stave go to waste due to some little bugs. The stave was thick so I am tring to find a ring below the damage in hopes to still have enough wood left for a bow.

Here is a pic of the damage just under the sap wood.
   

As you can see I did get below the damage on this part of the stave, but there must be 20 or more holes to get through on the rest of the stave.
   

Lots of hogging off wood to get down to the first phase,, ring chasing. It may be worth it if I can get below the damage as the stave has some real nice rings.

I'll try to keep you posted on whether or not the stave is salvagable.

See I have not given up on selfbows, just playing around with a glass bow some! Thanks to hormoan!!! And The Vermonster!!

hormoan:
I would fumagate your stash of osage as a precationary insurance measure. If its in the garage I'd get one of those bug bombs, seal the place up for the day. And bomb em!

You know I wonder how many bows, are hanging around not getting the attention they deserve. Be cause some of us have to many.   :confused: ?  
I was positive you would not turn you back on selfbows. You have to much fun making them!


                     Brent

Eric Krewson:
It is my experience that wood wasp larva don't migrate from one stave to the next but powder post beetles might. Removing bark and sapwood and 3 or 4 coats of shellac on the back will prevent any migration.

the Ferret:
Joe, I have had to go down as many as 10 good rings to get below them before. Don't know if you remember when I did the build along for Terry Petko's bow "Beetlejuice" (yea I squished an adult borer on it while making it hence the name). Turned into a beautiful bow but man how much wood I had to go thru to get below those nasty bugs.

BTW if anyone wants to see what we're talking about, go to the How To Forum and look for a thread called Osage Bowbuilding 101 and I have good pictures of the larvae, the adult bug, and the damage they can do.

Osagetree:
I enjoyed your thread, everyone should look if they are intereste. You should have placed a link Mickey.

Well I only had to go 5 on this one. just finished it up and have enough to make a bow left. Growth rings are a little tighter on one end and thicker on the other. Must have been cut clsoe to the ground.

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