Any good?

[bigbob2]

A mate picked this up for me when on an interstate hunting trip.Apparently its a limb off a standing tree and is about 7' long. the grain is close spaced and convoluted for about 3/4 of the diameter, but where the dark split is it looks ok to me. What say you and the best method of splitting to contain that 'good' area within a split stave?
 

[bigbob2]

the 'good' are is around the dark split area.
 

[fujimo]

looks like its going to be a very snakey, and interresting stave.
is there much of it over there?
could you plant a bunch near home- could be making "sucker" type bows in some years!

[bigbob2]

It has been planted a long time ago in some southern states mainly as wind breaks.Funny thing is 'sensible' people treat it with due respect while some treat it as a noxious weed and doze it into piles for burning!this came off a property with a bit of the latter sentiment.I'm getting a bit long in the tooth now to be bothered about planting any, unless I have enough of my good old mothers genes as she is 91 and still firing on all eight.

[John Scifres]

Yikes.  If it's all you have then I guess you gotta make it work.  Turn it so the snaky part is mostly side to side and not up and down.  Then look for limbs and try to split real close to them.  Finally, you are going have to deal with the off center nature of the rings.  You want your split to be right through the center.  The rings are awfully tight and the ratio of early to late wood is not really good. I would definitely back whatever staves you get from it.

[Eric Krewson]

If it were me I would cut it in half, split the halves into billets and match the better parts to splice into nice bow blanks, discard the rest.

[LittleBen]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I like Eric's plan!

There's definately not a ton of bow wood in there, but probably enough for one.

I think John might also be onto something with the backing, but I suppose that decision can wait until you split it into billets and see what you've really got.

[bigbob2]

thanks Gents. just thinking now I will season it and just use it for lams and riser material in glass bows.

[KellyG]

bob there is a bow in there. I would try that one. Get it split and get the bark off. That will tell you what you have.

[bigbob2]

the only problem I have doing that Kelly is that I might waste a lot of wood doing so, as I can use so much of it on glass bows,and over here it's not an easy wood to source.

[KellyG]

bob I would split it or cut it in to staves. Then chase a ring on the best looking piece. Then when you cut out the bow profile you can use a lot of that to make lams.

I will try and remember to take a pick of some on of my scraps in the yard. It would make a lam I know.

If you can cut out staves You will reduce the waste for you want have to clean up the splinted edges.

[bigbob2]

Yep decided I will give it a go Kelly once it stops raining! Been in drought for ages and now raining non stop! Don't mind the rain but, 'cause our farmers have been in desperate straits.

[Roy from Pa]

I would cut it into billet boards. It's not a very good stave, but hey Booby.. Go for it son.

[soy]

It will make one cool character bow!!! Go for it  

[bigbob2]

Thanks everybody--- and Roy    Guess I'm a gonna try some splitting soon.