Osage logs

[KellyG]

Here is some pic I took earlier this year of osage. My question is how to tell good log from a bad one. Most of this will be and amy be fire wood already. It is a few hedge rows that where cut a mile or more combined. I just dont know how to pick it.
 

 

 

 

[John Cooper]

It looks like you have a few to choose from.  Pick the ones with the best contrast between the dark and light bands with the highest percentage of dark.  That, paired with thicker growthrings will make it easiest to "chase the ring" and will yield the densest wood.  Find a log with the bark not spiraling up the trunk.  The first looks the best, but I can't see the growth rings.  See that little dark wedge at the bottom of your last picture?  The color and crispness of the rings I look for.  The growth rings on the big part of the log look decent on the outer third of the last picture.  The second pic might yield some bows as long as you can use steam and/or a heat gun to straighten the bow out once you get it floor tillered.

[Pat B]

I see quite a few bows in that log. What is the diameter?  Looks like a few belly splits too. The bark doesn't look spiraled but should have some snakes to it...and that's a good thing!
  You can straighten osage easily with wet or dry heat so don't let a little twist or bends bother you. Until you split the log down to staves you won't know what you have but osage is amazing bow wood. Post pics as you go.

[KellyG]

When I get back to KS in a week I may get some and split it I will have a year, to dry. I just have had one of those years, and the next will be worse when it comes to time.

[Pat B]

I think we are all having one of those years! d;^)  You just gotta keep on keeping on!  Store up those nuts(staves) for better times if you can get them now.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

My experience with my own Osage logs are that you can't really tell what kind of staves they are going to make until you open it up....split it into staves. I seem to have gotten about 60% good staves to 20% ok staves, and 20% throw aways out of each log. It just depends on how they split as to whether or not they are any good. That log in the second pic looks like a double trunk at the bottom of the stump and that will have to be cut off, so take that into consideration when deciding which ones are worth your time and trouble. Obviously pick the straightest ones you can find, but again.....even though they look straight on the outside doesn't guarantee they are straight when you split them.
Pat said it right when he said not to worry so much about the twist, you can take that out later. I used steam to fix my twisted limbs on the longbow I built. I just put it over a big stainless turkey fryer pot with boiling water for 30min. then clamped it past the twist and left it overnight, the next morning it was all good.

Good luck to ya, and take your time you will get the hang of it. I'm still learning myself.

[KellyG]

thanks all,
My main concern was the groth rings. Are the rings on bottom log near the top, the widers ones 6 0r 7 down from the top what your are looking for. These were good size trees the logs are probly pushing 10' and probly around 16-18" in diameter.

[Pat B]

How deep is the log from the sapwood to the center where the checks originate? Looks like you can get at least two staves from each split. I would go to the first good ring under the bark and in some places it is only two or so heartwood rings down. Don't waste good osage trying to get to a thick ring. Split out all your staves and belly splits(piggy back staves), remove the bark and sapwood from the ones that have it and seal the ends and backs. Later you can decide which ring you want to chase.

[KellyG]

Thanks. create staves then bow. I will be back in KS in little over a week, If I get a chance I will look to see if any of the logs are there and split them they will have a year to dry pulse the time they have been on the ground here.

[scrub-buster]

Seal the ends with glue, as soon as they are cut if you can.  Osage checks real bad.

[KellyG]

will do thanks