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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: RiverRatXJ on October 03, 2015, 02:40:00 PM
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I have been looking far and wide around my property here in NC for a decent size osage tree. I have found a few small ones not big enough for a bow. However, I just stumbled across what I thought (at first) was a group of good ones! Only one problem. The leaves have small serrations along the edges. :dunno: Here are some pics I took for some help. Tell me what you guys think. Thanks!
Possible Osage (http://imgur.com/a/LSIPF)
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That is an escaped Bradford pear. The wood is strong and should make a good bow...but it isn't osage. The ball you have in the pic looks like an old sycamore ball.
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...also, most osage 2" or bigger will make a hunting weight bow. I've made a few very good osage bows from 2" diameter shoots, sapwood and hardwood were used in these bows.
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Thank you. Well I have found a few that are about 5 inches or so at the ground but they taper very quickly. The woods here are very thick and therefore these trees are forced to grow straight(of-course not actually straight :banghead: ) up and not out at all. Giving them little girth. I will give one a try though!! Thanks again!
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5 inch diameter is plenty. A little crown in the back of the bow won't bother performance much. My best bows have come from 6 to 12 inch trees
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Thank you