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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 10:00:00 AM

Title: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 10:00:00 AM
Is $10/bdft too much to pay for reasonably clean quarter sawn 5/4 Osage?

Got a chance to buy about 15bdft but need to act pretty fast.

Making board bows as usual, although it's 3 live edge boards so there might be some ELBs in there too.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Pat B on September 18, 2014, 10:59:00 AM
Figure out how many bows you can get out of the board and divide the cost to see what each will cost.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 11:46:00 AM
~4-5/board I would assume ... maybe up to 7 ... so 12-21 bows so $7.50-$12.50/bow

but is that a good market price or is it high?
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 11:47:00 AM
No i take that back ... for tri-lams I think I can get at least 8/board maybe more ....... if I use 3/16"-1/4" belly lams
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 11:49:00 AM
No i take that back ... for tri-lams I think I can get at least 8/board maybe more ....... if I use 3/16"-1/4" belly lams
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: razorback on September 18, 2014, 12:08:00 PM
If it is 2 6'*12" boards @ 5/4 is roughly 15 bdft. If you can re-saw that into 1/2" slats, that is 12 slats per board at 2" wide. Say 20 slats with some wastage. So you are looking at $7 per bow. Take a couple of ELB out of it and you would be at maybe $10 per bow. Just some quick math but seems like a good deal. So long as you can re-saw it.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 18, 2014, 12:56:00 PM
Yeah they're 6" wide x 8ft, 3 boards. but the math is similar since I cut all my lams 36" or less and then splice. Probably gonna scoop that up.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: macbow on September 18, 2014, 02:11:00 PM
Ben the formula is length x width x thickness (4/4) equals 1 inch. All in inches
Divided by 144.

Your board is 4 board feet if one inch thick.
Sounds like a good deal especially if all usable.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Roy from Pa on September 18, 2014, 02:43:00 PM
Send the address Ben, I'll go buy them. A set of 36" board billets cost $40.00 plus shipping. But since your such a nice guy, send them to me and I'll make them into billets and lams for ya for nutten. Let Canopy boy drop them off at my place.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Zradix on September 18, 2014, 03:15:00 PM
if the wood looks good and you can be fairly sure it isn't going to dry quick and crack... BUY IT! BUY IT NOW!....


..so you buy it yet?


lol
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Bowjunkie on September 19, 2014, 08:30:00 AM
I recently got 26 osage boards that average 1" or more thick, 8' long, 6" wide for $150. It was cut in 1994 and stored indoors since then.

What's that figure out to? $1.44 a board foot? How'd I do? :^)
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Zradix on September 19, 2014, 09:10:00 AM
!!! You guys tick me off!!!

lol...

Good finds guys!
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: takefive on September 19, 2014, 02:08:00 PM
Considering that I pay $75 for a 6' long 5/8" by 2" board, I'd say you did ok on that deal, Jeff.    :banghead:
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Don Stokes on September 19, 2014, 02:25:00 PM
Osage is a non-standard item and most mills won't even cut it. There is no established price that I'm aware of.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 19, 2014, 04:18:00 PM
All good points! I think you did good Jeff.

Ended up buying just under 15 bdft for $150. It'll be alot of bows, and maybe some super heavy arrow shafts if I got crazy. Have some mulberry that's too short for bows that may also become arrows when I find the time.

Note to self ... Stop buying wood and save for pickup truck ... Audi TT is not adapted for transporting wood or deer ...
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Bowjunkie on September 19, 2014, 04:28:00 PM
LMAO Ben. Was just telling someone yesterday about the time I hauled a dead buck in a Volkswagon Scirraco  :)

I use heavy hickory shafts almost exclusively, and have often wondered about making osage arrow shafts. Maybe now I'll try it.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Brett Leinmiller on September 20, 2014, 10:58:00 AM
I cut a lot of Osage for my folks. I've recently decided to try my hand at building bows. I've read through the first volume of The Traditional Bowyers Bible so I know what staves are desirable but I'd like to what one of these boards mentioned in this thread look like if anyone could post a pic. I'd like to see what you all consider reasobly clean in a larger piece. Thanks
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Roy from Pa on September 20, 2014, 01:04:00 PM
Here are two lams out of very clean Osage.
   (http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/lams2.png) (http://s47.photobucket.com/user/ROY-CHRIS/media/lams2.png.html)

Here is the grain I prefer, 1/4 sawn..
  (http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/billetends.png) (http://s47.photobucket.com/user/ROY-CHRIS/media/billetends.png.html)
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: LittleBen on September 21, 2014, 09:34:00 AM
Roy what width do you build at with osage?
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Roy from Pa on September 21, 2014, 10:07:00 AM
1 1/4 at flares to 1/2 at tips.
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: canopyboy on September 21, 2014, 09:04:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
Send the address Ben, I'll go buy them. A set of 36" board billets cost $40.00 plus shipping. But since your such a nice guy, send them to me and I'll make them into billets and lams for ya for nutten. Let Canopy boy drop them off at my place.
I do owe you a visit ole man...
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: canopyboy on September 21, 2014, 09:06:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by LittleBen:
Note to self ... Stop buying wood and save for pickup truck ... Audi TT is not adapted for transporting wood or deer ...
There we go, I've been telling you that for some time now. You can get all that horsepower in something that weights 3x as much and you'll never be happier!
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: canopyboy on September 21, 2014, 09:10:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by LittleBen:
Roy what width do you build at with osage?
Ben, don't listen to anything ole royberta says about osage. The only bow he made outta the stuff that I shot just about took out my eye...

   :saywhat:
Title: Re: Osage board cost
Post by: Roy from Pa on September 22, 2014, 05:17:00 AM
You know where I live, cantaloupe boy..  :)