Seems like the thing to do right now. This was not a very good stave but I am trying to make something out of it. Here it is after squaring up. Its going to be shorter than I like but that can't be helped.

Step 2, hogging wood.

Hogging and rasping more wood.

Ready to start tillering maybe?

Needs more tillering and rasped some more. Braced at 6". #30 @ 14" at this stage. Was shooting for 58" ntn ended up at 58 1/2" ntn. Limbs have a little twist opposite each other but string tracks down the center pretty good. Has a vertical small crack in upper limb towards string nock. Filled with glue and will see if it holds. Will remove some more wood before finish shaping and sanding. Going to name this bow "Hopeful". Hopefully it will finish up and shoot okay.

hey it looks good so far    wolfman jeff

Jeff, I would like to see if I can get #45 to #50 @ 28".

It looks like it should be a bow with out much problem. How wide are the limbs? Doe's the back have any issues with pin,knots or grain swirls?

nice "YALLOW" bow      

Bowmac - i am a definite novice in that i've only hacked out three osage bows that shoot.  My current project is a spliced stave bow for a friend.  Anyhoo - i have yet to have a vertical crack cause a problem and I have seen a bunch of them.  I harvest the osage from by brother's place in Eastern Kansas.  He has more than I will ever be able to ruin... I mean use.

Pin knots and vertical cracks and twists don't make for a 'pretty' bow but IMHO looks don't make a shot.

Looks very promising.

Don't be too concerned about the vertical crack. I have several osage selfbows in my collection made my very well known bowyers that have some vertical cracks, or drying checks, and none of them had any concerns about them. I have shot them all long enough to see that they do not pose a problem.

Braced at 6 3/4" still to strong but almost there. Will rasp a little more.

Tiller not perfect but not bad. #52 @ 28" with some natural string follow I couldn't control due to the limbs the way they were. Now a bunch of sanding, work on handle and finish to make her ready. Pic shows two shots at 15 yards off my hand.

Bow looks good but what the heck is wrong with that Bous legs ha ha

Had a little too much drink last night. That is the "Boo" of course.

nice shooting. i love self bows my self but the two i had have gone to the  great wall and one has gone to make knife handles.

"Hopeful" finished. She ended up #49 @ 28" after final sanding, 58 1/2" ntn. I put a light Early American Stain on to dull the bright yellow and has 3 coats of clear finish rubbed in. She's not a beauty but she seems to shoot okay. I made a FF string for her. Since I made the bow, string and arrows all I need to do now is see if she can bring me down a Doe or Buck in a month and a half from now. I got a couple Pig Hickory staves ready to go in the shed if it ever cools down. Oh by the way "Hopeful" had first spent about 40 years as a fence post then I came along to recycle Her. These three arrows I shot at 20 yards.

Very nice! Thank you for sharing with us.

I would not be afraid to hunt with "Hopeful". Please update your thread when you get one on the ground!

I wish you the best of luck!!!