I think I hit the jackpot....

[snakebit40]

Well this spring my wife and I were driving around the country side looking for turkeys. We drove by an old farm that somebody had just bought and was pushing alot of trees over. As we drove by my wife pointed out two huge trees with orange roots. Sure enough two of the biggest Osage hedge trees I've seen.
So a friend and I go out there this last weekend after getting the go ahead to take what we want. One of the trees is already chopped up into 1 to 2 foot sections (made me sick), but the other one had not been touched yet.
We ended up getting three (and could possible get a fourth) 70 inch or so sections. Ranging from 1 1/2 foot diameter to around 8 to 6 inch diameter. Now I just have to figure out how to get them out of there.
Now with the drying process. With pieces that big what do I do? Do I cut them into staves and seal the ends? Leave them be and seal them? Or....? I don't know, if you can tell I'm new to making bows. Any help would be appreciated!

[scrub-buster]

Seal the ends NOW!!!  I like to split them into staves and remove the bark and sapwood.  It is a lot of work, but worth it.  If you remove the bark and sapwood, seal the backs too.  Shellac is a good sealer.  Wood glue or poly will work too.  Good luck

[PEARL DRUMS]

Whoooo! Have fun with that 18 incher. I broke my sledge handle and actually muchroomed and cracked the head on the same hammmer beating a 10" log. If you cant haul them out whole, split them on the spot.

[Colorado Joe]

Lemme know if ya sell any....

[John Scifres]

I usually at least halve the logs over 8".

Here's 2009:   http://sticknstring.webs.com/wood2009.htm

Definitely get a can of shellac and seal them right after cutting and splitting.

[snakebit40]

How long do I let them cure, dry, or whatever the term is?

[razorback]

Rule of thumb is 1 year per inch. One of the reasons to split it now, speeds up drying time. You can then reduce some of the staves to near bow dimensions and theyu will dry very quickly and you can get a bow out of it in a few months.

[red hill]

I've cut osage twice now and it became clear early you need to split the big'uns. Osage is dense and heavy.
Stan

[Bowjunkie]

If you don't seal the ends immediately, they will get drying checks in the ends that will continue to run deeper and deeper into your staves, which you don't want to happen.

If you don't split the logs, they will not dry, but rather, they'll ultimately split themselves... and not where you want them to. You don't want THAT to happen either.

If after you split them into pieces 4" or so wide across the bark, you don't soon reduce them by taking off the bark and sapwood and then seal their backs, they can split down the sides to the point of worthlessness... more cracks you definitely don't want to see.

So yes, you need to get busy and take care of your bow wood.

I HIGHLY recommend you go buy Dean Torges' book 'Hunting the Osage Bow' TODAY... and follow his instructions. It's all in there. This is the only piece of instruction I had in my hands when I began building selfbows and my first bow, and second, and third... still shoot to this day.

  link to Hunting the Osage Bow

All the best in your quest!

[bretto]

I didn't think anything but Russian Olive and Cottonwood grew that far West. Congrats on the find.

bretto