Is my Osage stave any good?

[Kyle Patterson]

Today i received an osage stave from someone who decided they were likely never going to turn it into a bow. It is in great condition, was shellaked on the back and ends and has a reasonably straight/workable grain. The only thing is it is mostly made up of the outer white wood. There is only maybe a half inch of heart wood on it, and even that i dont know if i can salvage. I have never worked with osage before and was wondering if its ok to work with the sapwood on osage or not. If it will work I am a very happy man, because it is a big stave that i can probably get 2 bows out of.

[beetlebailey1977]

need pics......are you sure it is osage?

[Kyle Patterson]

Ill try to get some pics, but yes it is osage.

[Kyle Patterson]

Well i got to looking at it a bit more and there was a crack somewhat hidden starting down the center so i followed it with the wedge and split the stave in 2. You can see the difference in heart/sapwood. and because of the angle of the split there is very little useable heartwood. What do you think?

[psychmonky]

It may be the lighting but that looks like something other than osage. Erc?

[Nim-rod]

Looks like hickory to me

[Kyle Patterson]

Its the lighting/shadows and a pic off my phone. It is very yellow, especially on the side that has been exposed longest.

[KellyG]

kyle if that is osage then I would bet that is not sap wood I have never seen it that thick, but yes you can use sap wood from what I have read on here. Osagetree has a couple of saplings with sap wood and heck some bark on the handle area he has posted on here.

[Bowjunkie]

That doesn't look like osage. The sapwood looks too thick and the color isn't right.

You said it is more yellow-colored on the side that's been exposed? Osage is generally bright yellow when freshly exposed but then turns darker/browner the more it sits out in the air/light.

Can you take some more pictures showing the actual coloring, and maybe close-ups of the ends, back, etc.?

What's the actual measurement on that sapwood thickness?

[scrub-buster]

I don't think I have ever cut any osage that had more than 1/2" thick sapwood.  

Could it be Elm?  Pictures of the end would help.

[okie64]

Ive never seen sapwood that thick on osage, its either mulberry,elm or something else. The sapwood should be fine to use as long as it doesnt look like it has fungus or decay or a bunch of cracks in it.

[Kyle Patterson]

Hmm, well the more i listen to you guys the more i think i am wrong.. oh well, its something, and hopefully i can turn it into a bow. Thanks again for looking!

[psychmonky]

lol Scrub...That mammoth 109-stave tree only had 1/2" of sapwood?

[scrub-buster]

Yes


 

[wildcat hunter]

I cut an Osage with 7/8" white wood. Its VERY tough and comes off  

[wildcat hunter]

[IMG]

[wildcat hunter]

[wildcat hunter]

I'm sorry, I tried to shink the pictures to medium size but everytine I posted them they are BIG!. I clicked on apply after I clicked on the size but it still comes out very big - what am I doing wrong?

[wildcat hunter]