Cure Osage Before Working It??

[longstick]

I guess I should have posted this here rather than Pow Wow
I guess you could say Im blessed with the amount of osage around our trad club.. I picked up 1 real nice chunk about 9" diam and a foot long. With lots more for the grabbing. Would make a TON of knife handles but Im not sure how and when to work the wood. Do I split it into small staves and let it cure or just jump on in split and work it then let it cure?

[Dano]

I would split it into quarters, and let it dry for a couple of months in a cool dry place. Have you sealed the ends? if not it has all ready started to check. After you split it out seal the ends with elmers white glue, or a few coats of shellach or whatever.

[longstick]

Thx Dano...will split it and seal tomorrow..this stuff should make a ton if knife handles

[onemississipp]

Split or rive it to make it "quarter sawn".


 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter-sawn

"because of the orientation of the growth rings, quarter-sawn wood is less prone to shrinkage, twisting, cupping and in many cases rot because sap wood is easier to isolate in manufacturing process"

[longstick]

thats some good info there Dustin, THX!

[George Tsoukalas]

I would do as Dan said. You could also remove the bark and sapwood. It's easier done when the wood is green. Poly the back though or she'll split faster than a ballerina dancing the Nutcracker Suite. Jawge

[Roy Steele]

Split it now to dry faster.