Wood Cutting 2009

[John Scifres]

Wood Cutting 2009
April 11, 2009
James and I decided it was about time to get some osage.  I have a friend that has some family land with some
osage on it and he was gracious enough to allow a trade of one of my bows for the opportunity to cut.

We walked the 20 acre plot and found several opportunities for bow wood.  This fine specimen was located right on a field edge.  
It was too wet to drive the field but still, less than 100 yards of carrying is better than average for me.  
 


We got out the Stihl and planned the atttack.
James is ready for some hauling  
 


A notch, a cut and "Timberrrrrr"  Easy as that...so far.
This tree had a 12" or so diameter and about 11' of fairly clear stuff at the bottom.
 


It also had the thickest rings I have ever seen on osage.  If I hadn't cut it myself, I'd guess this was mulberry  The tension side had 3/8" rings and the compression side rings were 1/2" or so.
The tree was only 15 or so years old.  But, it seems to be good, dark dense wood.  I'll see when I get to making bows.
 


Again, James is still smiling  
 

[John Scifres]

First we need to get her into manageable chunks.   We start at the end with the axe.  Don't use your good, expensive axe for this.
 
 

The split is starting.
 


Driving it home.
 


Walking it down with the wedges...
 
 


...and popping the quarters apart.

 

[John Scifres]

Now who's gonna' carry all this stuff?

   


Oh, I guess I'll do it!  Back at the truck.

 

And then back home after splitting the quarters into staves and billets and brushing shellac on the exposed backs from belly splits and the ends.
 


It's like gold I tell ya'.  I got 8+ staves and maybe 2-3 bows worth of billets.  Oh yeah, and a walking stick or two.
 

[shamus]

This post made me smile.

thanks, John.

[George Tsoukalas]

John, so nice to see. Made me smile too.    Jawge

[BMN]

Nice haul John.

[Dano]

I don't see any pictures of James workin    

[DCM]

Beautiful.  That fat ringed osage is cherry baby.  By my experience you might consider the allowing a little more wood on the first few bows.

On a haul like that, all by myself and I want to get cut and home in one outing, I'll take a 4 wheeler on a trailer, then hookup the trailer to the wheeler for the haul out to the road.

Thanks for posting.  I generally cut in Febuary and missed this year.  I loves cuttin' me some osage might near as much as bowyerin' from it.

[va]

Hey James -

Watch out!  Dad will try and talk you into hauling next time.  Your best bet is to stay on the "smart" end of the splitting axe.

va

[ranger 3]

Then there is some thick rings.

[ChristopherO]

That is a pretty straight tree of bow wood there.  Good find.

[Dano]

"I loves cuttin' me some osage might near as much as bowyerin' from it". David, you are sick, but your right. I need to go on a Mesquite cuttin trip.

[2treks]

Wow! that is some fat ringed Osage. I come across some trees back in March and it looked like yew wood the rings are so tight. I will try for some pics.
   Let us know how thebows turn out. Nice haul.

[Bjorn]

Nice haul! Thanks for the pics and story.

[razorsharptokill]

James has supervisor written all over him! LOL!

[John Scifres]

James is a good kid.  I have few complaints about him.  But he is a pre-teen and prone to bouts of lethargy.  I cajoled him into this trip by promising he could drive the truck through the field.  Once he found that it was too wet, his energy for the venture lagged a bit.  I did put him to work piling brush into bunny homes and carry tools back and forth to the truck.  He also learned a good bit about using a chain saw and took the helm for much of the boning out of the carcass.  I think back when I was 11.  I had some serious health issues about that time and weighed about 50 pounds at his age.  I am enormously thankful to the Lord for his health and general good nature.

Allow me a moment to show you a photo he posted on his webpage last night.  
 
The caption reads "This is me and my old man - Dad. I don't know what I'd do without him."  I'm sure he knew I'd read it so he might have been brown-nosing a bit  

James and his 8 year old sister did some spelunkin' in a culvert last night too.

 

Probably not the safest thing to let them do.  Sometimes I might not make the best Dad choices but the kid in me takes over at times  

Thanks for all the nice comments.  I rarely miss an opportunity to show off my kids.

[DCM]

;-)

Yer lookin' perty healthy these days John.  And a fine looking lad you have raised as well.  I 'member photos from years ago, when they were about the size to be wearin' pjs w/ built in footies.  They do grow up fast it seems.

[John Scifres]

 

[Dano]

Yep we have watched your kids grow up, You and your better half have done real good. Thank God we haven't gotten any older    

[michaelschwister]

Two tracks, that thin ringed Michigan osage works fine too!! I cut a bunch north of lansing years ago, and Nels Grumley used MI osage years also. Still, nothin like a bow with 2-3 rings for a limb........