Osage questions from newby

[osagehickory]

Alrighty then, Here goes  :p  

Keep in mind I am a NEWBY!  I am currently working on a hickory bow and have it at the tillering stage.  I recieved this bow as a bow blank ready to floor tiller.

I have found several osage branch/limbs that are growing up straight from a large log that is nearly paralell to the ground. (I have not cut them yet.) They are bout 5 inches in diameter and 5 to 5 1/2ft long.  Bark is straight.  My question to all is once I cut it do I take off bark and sapwood?   I have never seen sapwood to begin with... If I want to split it can't I just use a band saw and cut it down the center to get 2 bows? I assume I would have to have a 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 in wide bow being a smaller branch?

Second question, I found another nice straight barked osage tree bout 8-10 diameter. Slight lean to it, I mean slight!  Once I cut it down can I use a band saw to cut my staves or is it better to split with wedges and allow it to split naturally?  Once in staves I will remove the bark and sapwood.  Can I get to down to one ring right away that I will use for the back and then again use the band saw to rough out the blank and allow it to dry a month then take some more off, allow to dry, take more off then when it is dry enough, really start working and tillering?

I guess I just need a "flowchart" of what I do to get from tree to bow, lol.  Want to not waste my osage finds!  I should have taken pictures...maybe I will be able to go back in a few weeks and get some.

Thanks everyone!!

[Pat B]

I would split any osage that is 4" to 5" or over. If you start in the middle of the stave with a wedge and work out to the ends it will usually split straighter for you.
  Be sure to seal the ends. I would cut them and let them acclimatise in a cool dry place for a few weeks to a month before splitting. Once split you can remove the bark and sapwood but be sure to seal the back well as soon as possible. I prefer to leave the bark and sapwood on for an initial drying period but others will get to a good back ring right away.
  You will be able to easily identify the sapwood from the heartwood when you cut the shoots. Sapwood is white and the heartwood is yellow.
  On the smaller diameter staves, once you split them they will  begin to go into backset. Sometimes to excess and some twisting may occur. Either strap the splits to a 2x4 to prevent twisting and too much set or wrap the two halves back together with small wood spacers between them to allow for air flow.
  I have used a bandsaw on 2" to 3" diameter osage "poles" but immediately bound them back together with spacers between them. They really behave adversely when cut with a bandsaw if left to their own reactions.
  On the larger diameter trees I would seal the ends well, plilt the logs in half and wait til spring to split them down to a more manageable bow building stave size. Keep the bark and sapwood on them until later.
  I'm sure others will have a different method but these have worked for me.

[DVSHUNTER]

pat covered everything well. Good advice.