After only 3 days of looking a neighbor was gracious enough to give me an osage log. All I had to do was cut it down because he hated the tree in his pasture that was dropping green balls everywhere. Imagine my surprise!!! The log measures 92" and had a 11" diameter. What a find. I have read several sites on getting started with different woods. Is there a site dedicated to Osage though?? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Been bowhunting since I was 14, but am green to the trad. side of things. Thanks again for any help.
Steve
Here you go.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000046
Good Luck
Hmmmm....never seen that post before.....that is one darn fine tutorial. Thanks for the link.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks Jeff. Did that one a couple years ago and it's now archived in the How To section
Steven, get it split into quarters or even eights, seal the ends real well., and store them where air can circulate around them but bugs can't get to them. One at a time pull them down and start taking the bark and sapwood off and sealing the backs.
You didn't say what kind of growth rings they had?
Sounds like there might just be a Bow, or 2, or 6 if ya cut it Right!! You might even get a Buck or 2 if ya decided to sell it!! Cant ya Hear the Drool hitting the Garage Floors?
Ferret, like I said its a piece of gold!!! It has 7 growth rings that are 12 or 13 rings deep that are prime. Of the seven, the smallest is 3/8" and the largest is just over 1/2" These diameters run all the way around the log. I have looked in some mags. and a 72" stave of this is around $90!! Not looking to sell. I have just realized how lucky I have gotten and don't want to mess this up!! I am going to practice on some red oak to be sure that I can get it right!! I am planning on making one for myself and my two sons. I have been bowhunting since I was 14 and started strictly bowhunting only 5 years ago. I am now wanting to start hunting with a longbow that I build. Thanks for the how-to section.
just one thing....if you have never built a bow before. I would start with a couple board bows (hickory). my first 5 were board bows, and you wouldn't believe how much I learned in the first one alone. Boards are cheap and easy to find and make some failry decent shooters.
Then when your confidence lelvel is at it's highest from successfully making a shooting device tackle a stave...LMAO...and the learning process continues.
BTW Ferret has some nice plans for super easy to build board bow.