Discolored (rotten?) Osage

[John Scifres]

So I got a line on a couple osage logs that had been cut last year for bow wood. The guy who cut it decided it was more work to make a bow than he could do right now.  We met and the logs looked pretty good.  One of them was huge, 8' long and 12" of yellow, weighed like 400#!

Anyways, I got them home and boned them out last weekend. Today I started working them down and found the larger one almost looks rotten in places.  The first inch or so of thickness is discolored kind of like whitewoods get after a few weeks on the ground.  I went ahead and chased a ring on one and it is definitely different feeling and even has a bit of odor to it.  I was able to get below the "rot" on many staves but a few are goners.  On some of them I was able to cut a slat from the "rotten" wood.  I sanded one down and then shellaced it just to see what it looked like.  Very beautiful, almost spalted looking.

I remember someone had a post a few weeks ago about something similar but I can't find it now.  Anybody remember that?  I'd like to see what caused this and if anyone else has seen similar.  Definitely new to me.

[Art B]

That may have been my post over on the PA site John. After doing a break/bend test on some scrap I discovered the billet to useless.

Did your wood have a medicinal smell to it? Never a good sign.........Art

[John Scifres]

Thanks Art. I thought it was you but I just had the wrong site.  The smell is not really medicinal, more humus like.  I am assuming it was stored in a placed that was very moist.  The donor said it was stored outside, under an eve of his mother's house.  The only other time I have run across something similar was some swamp osage I cut several years ago.  

The inner splits and everything under the rot seem OK.  I made a kid's bow from some of it and it seems normal.  I'm going to give it a week or two to dry and then bend in earnest.  We'll see.  The rotten wood is beautiful so I'll find a use for it so it's not a complete loss.

Thanks again.

[Pat B]

Pretty rare to find rotten osage but there are fungi that eat it too. I guess under the ideal conditions the rot would get all the way through the wood.

[Don Stokes]

The sapwood of Osage will rot easily, but the heartwood is the most durable in the United States. Highly unlikely that the heartwood is rotting. Fenceposts in wood preservative test plots have lasted over 40 years with no chemical treatment and no rot.

Sounds like rotten sapwood to me.

[John Scifres]

Nope it's definitely in the heartwood.  I don't know for sure that it's "rotting" but it sure looks and smells like it.  Who knows maybe this thing's been parked on top of her septic field for the last year      EEEeeewwww!

I'm gonna let the slats dry for a while and then try to back one with something.  We'll see.  They'll be pretty if they make it.

[ber643]

Interesting thread. I really like the spalted wood(s) I've seen (used on knife handles, have on hand) but I'd never even heard of anything like that with Osage. Guess I had just figured it was all "used"  up too fast, by farmers or bowyers, to rot or even spoil a little - LOL.

[Don Stokes]

Wow! Osage is tough, but Nature always wins. Everything ultimately becomes food for something.

[John Scifres]

I'm blaming it on global warming.  I am going to resaw a couple pieces tonight just for fun.  One of the pieces is highly figured.  Maybe I'll make a knife handle out of it.

I had a guy offer me a log  (for a nice price) of osage that had been buried in a bog since at least 1853.  I don't really know how he knew that.  He said it was stunning stuff.  I didn't really need it then but after seeing this in person, I might reconsider.  Think of the lams that could make.  I wonder if I saved his contact info  

[John Scifres]

Just found his contact info and sent him an email.  We'll see  

[Dean Marlow]

I run across that sometimes in some of my osage also. It seems to be around the knotty part of the log on mine. I wonder maybe water pools in those areas and that starts that funky colored stuff. I haven't tried to make a bow of it.

[KellyG]

John how about some PICs of it so we can see it to. Sounds pretty.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I read that article in TBM last month about the guy who built bows from a log that was cut and laying on the ground for 15 years untouched? He said it was rotten on the outside but the heartwood was good and the bow is still shooting just fine. I thought that was very cool.

[ber643]

yeah, I'd vote for that too, Kelly (if a vote would count      ) Plus I want to make sure it isn't what my current maddening stave looks like - LOL

[John Scifres]

I hope to get some shop time this evening.  I'll try to get some good pics.  I tried the other day but they didn't do the wood justice.  

I got into contact with guy with the old log.  I misunderstood a little and he mistyped a little.  The log he has was under water since 1953 when a lake was flooded.  He sent some pics and it is cool but not much prettier than any aged osage, which is gorgeous of course.  I'll post them too later if I get the chance.

[DVSHUNTER]

The coolest piece of osage I have seen was a blank that earl hoyt worked way back when. Pure black. I wonder if it still yellow on the inside?  Can't wait for your pics John.

[hova]

seriously i want pics man...


-hov

[John Scifres]

Ahh life.  Get's in the way some times.  I'll try again tonight.

[hova]

its been three days...screw life , we want pics.


seriously though , hope all is well. the tools are holding up great.

-hov