Laminating Osage with Red Oak.....For Take Down

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Ok guys, here it is. I finally stopped procrastinating about building these limbs for my take down Osage/Rosewood riser and just started bending wood for the first time a couple of days ago. I wanted to pair up my Osage backing with red cedar underlays after I put some curl in my Osage limbs, but dry cedar and heat spells failure. Even though I did use mineral oil on the limb to keep it from drying out and to distribute the heat evenly, when I applied pressure it snapped like a pencil. It never did feel "spongy" like other wood does, it just did not want to give.

 

So with that knowledge tucked away into memory, I set off on my 4wheeler up to the barn for some oak. I've got a pile of 1/4 sawn slats up there that are basically just sitting there rotting away for a complete restore of a barn that will never happen. I should let some of you that are close by come over and take your pick for building oak board bows. Anyway, I returned back to the shop and planed down the best of the best red oak, ruff cut slats I could find and believe it or not, there was some nice looking red oak under all that ugly. Here it is planed and bent lying next to my Osage limbs to be glued to later on. Sorry I don't have any pics of the Red Oak before it was cleaned up, but I was in a hurry.
I'll get those for you all later that may want to come down here and take some home with ya.
I'd already spent half the morning on those cedar lams that blew apart on me during the bending process and I wanted to get this ball rolling!

 

With the Red Oak bent and ready to glue up I cleaned each contact surface with Lacquer thinner Osage and Red Oak then began my glue up. I did a mock glue up before I did the actual glue up to make sure my clamps were close and even cut some wedges just in case I needed some. BTW- Red Oak does bend nicely, no problems there at all.

 

My Lord what a butt load of clamps!
I smeared TBII on both surfaces just so I was sure to have enough and made sure I had enough clamps, but believe it or not, I needed about 2 more! Jeeeez!

I wanted to see glue squeeze out of every single line along both edges of the limb match up just to make sure I had contact throughout.

Hope I didn't bore you all too much with my rambling.

Thanks for looking, SEMO

[Art B]

Sorry that red cedar didn't work for you Semo. From the looks of it's grain/run-ups it didn't stand a chance from the beginning. Probably would have failed even with steaming. You really do need suitable wood for bending/curving.

I think you said that you kept your wood in a barn. Did you get your oak down to suitable M/C before gluing up?    

Art

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I think it was plenty dry Art, I don't have a moisture meter, but it just "felt" right. I think, (hope) this red oak will work out fine.
It's hard to explain a feeling, but it's different when your actually working with it.

[Lee Slikkers]

Hey Chris, sorry to see the Cedar blew on you...I was REALLY wanting to see how a combo like that worked out.

Also, got your email, thanks for the quick reply...I'll get back to you soon.