Osage log

[Eric Krewson]

Here is one at least 5' in diameter and not the biggest I have seen in these parts.

[wood carver 2]

I remember reading an article in a popular boat building magazine where a schooner was built using Osage. It was the first time I had heard of Osage. There was a picture of the lumber for the build and it filled at least one semi trailer.there was some big, straight wood in that pile.
Dave.

[wood carver 2]

Just thinking about it, there was wood for a thousand bows or more.
Dave.

[Roy from Pa]

Those pictures are making my back ache:)

[OkKeith]

John-

I will typically snap a straight chalk line on the log and run a 1.5-2 inch deep kerf with a circular saw from one end to the other. Using this end to end slot, I then run a line of wedges down the log and give them sequential whacks until the log is split in two. You can do the same with the two halves.

Since you will be removing all the outer sapwood, you really aren't hurting anything and this helps with getting a more even split.

Good luck and like everyone else... I would love to see some photos.

OkKeith

[Outwest]

Thanks all for the info. OkKieth I might try the saw thing would a skill saw work? Any reason I couldn't split the log from the end? ( lengthways)

[scrub-buster]

I split around 300 osage staves each year with a 4 lb hammer and steel wedges.  I've never had to use a saw to split them.

[kennym]

I'm not a selfbow guy, but I always figured you would be violating the grain if you sawed a straight line. Especially on a snakey stave?  Just curious...

[Bowjunkie]

You would Ken. But some wood, even some osage, is straight grained enough that it doesn't matter. Often this can be read through the bark.

[Eric Krewson]

With the chainsaw i always lost a little wood if there was an snaky grain I couldn't see. I had access to a bunch of wood so a quick cut with a chainsaw always looked better to me than the time spent trying to get that first split in a big log. 

My buddy George collected all this wood from a huge standing dead osage tree, I offered to give the logs a chainsaw cut but he wouldn't let me and split it all by hand in 100 degree heat.

Turned out the wood had a chalky texture and he didn't get any good staves out of the pile of logs.

[Flem]

You guys need a longer version of one of these;

Flogging those logs counts as self abuse

[Roy from Pa]

Ya got all the big boy toys I see:)

 

[Flem]

I wish! (screen shot) I chop firewood with a old Firemans axe. Someday I'm going to build one of those.

[Roy from Pa]

I got one, 7 ton.

Thinking about putting a bigger cylinder on it..

But it doesn't do bad.

[OkKeith]

John-

A skill saw is exactly what I use. The kerf is only an inch or two. Once the wedges start in its all the woods idea of where it goes. It does cross grain in the kerf through the sapwood but you wouldn't be using that any way.

My experience with splitting from an end is that the split usually runs out somewhere and ruins one or two staves. With the kerf length wise and then the line of wedges you get a squarer split it seems. A stubborn log may need several wedges to keep the split straight.

Its worth the extra effort to me.

OkKeith