picking out an osage tree??

[long shot]

i have access to several osage trees and would like to know more about choosing one to make a bow from.  any suggestions on dimensions, or certain characteristics of the log??  as you can see i am new to this sport and would like to learn more.  i have a background of some woodworking and would love to make a bow,  thanks for your help,  jeff

[scrub-buster]

Straight, no limbs, check the bark for twist.  Trees growing near streams or water usually have thicker rings.  Second growth off of old stumps are good also.

[John Scifres]

I like 10-14" for ease of handling as well as a flatter back.

Look for at least 72" of clear (no knots or limbs and straightish) wood if you are thinking staves or 40" if billets.

Then look at the bark and see if it twists or barber poles any.

When you find one that meets these tests, cut it as close to the ground as possible.  Osage hangs up bad because it is knarly and strong.  A clear drop path is best.  Failing that, a come-along or better yet an ATV or truck and strong strap or chain.

Cut it to length and get as much wood as you can, seeking out 36" plus billets and 60" plus staves in all the main log and branches.

If you have to carry it, quarter it using wedges and sledges.  here's ome wood my son and I cut  a couple years ago:    Wood 2009  

As soon as you can, coat the ends and 6" or so with shellac or latex paint to prevent checking.  Stack it in a garage and get the bark and sapwood off at the same time.  If you don't have indoor space, spray it with insecticide and keep it in the shade.  I remove all the bark and sapwod from each stave at the same sitting and work through the pile until it is all processed and stored safely inside.  The bugs will start eating in the spring and will be an inch or so deep within a year.

Wood dries at about an inch a year so the thinner you can get it, the quicker you can turn it into a bow.

Have fun.  Wear ear and eye protection.  Plan ahead and be careful

[Lee Robinson .]

In yew wood, I have often seen many tight rings as being desired. Why does it seem that osage is opposite...with people preferring the thicker rings. With rings representing years and growth rates, I would think tighter rings would be slower growth and therefore more dense wood. Is this not true? Or are thicker rings only preferred for easier shaving?

[Don Stokes]

Lee, the width of growth rings are not necessarily a measure of density. In the field of wood technology there are two definitions for density, rings per inch and weight per volume. The two don't correlate very well. Osage is one of the species which can be heavy (dense) but still have relatively wide growth rings.

[John Scifres]

Here's my take on ring thickness in osage:

I can chase rings pretty easily down to 1/16" and even thinner as long as there is a bit of early growth between them.  Thin rings and hardly any early growth are a bear to chase.  Easier to back them.

Rings thinner than 1/32" are a bear to chase.  Easier to back them.

Thick rings from the tension side of a tree are great.  Fast and really easy to chase.  The best of all worlds.

Thick rings from the compression side of a leaning tree make dog bows.

Thick rings from the first 10 years of growth are awesome if you can deal with the crown on the back.

All that said, osage is great bow wood.  Even at it's average, it's better than the other woods I've used except really good yew and really good hickory.

[CaptainJ]

Also with osage high late to early ratio is better because late (dark) growth in osage is the best stuff on the planet and early (light) growth is the worst. So thick late rings are strong and easy to chase without cutting through.

CJ

[rover brewer]

Gary Davis dvd rattlstick shows everything from picking a tree to cut down to finish bow.