Osage board cost

[LittleBen]

Is $10/bdft too much to pay for reasonably clean quarter sawn 5/4 Osage?

Got a chance to buy about 15bdft but need to act pretty fast.

Making board bows as usual, although it's 3 live edge boards so there might be some ELBs in there too.

[Pat B]

Figure out how many bows you can get out of the board and divide the cost to see what each will cost.

[LittleBen]

~4-5/board I would assume ... maybe up to 7 ... so 12-21 bows so $7.50-$12.50/bow

but is that a good market price or is it high?

[LittleBen]

No i take that back ... for tri-lams I think I can get at least 8/board maybe more ....... if I use 3/16"-1/4" belly lams

[LittleBen]

No i take that back ... for tri-lams I think I can get at least 8/board maybe more ....... if I use 3/16"-1/4" belly lams

[razorback]

If it is 2 6'*12" boards @ 5/4 is roughly 15 bdft. If you can re-saw that into 1/2" slats, that is 12 slats per board at 2" wide. Say 20 slats with some wastage. So you are looking at $7 per bow. Take a couple of ELB out of it and you would be at maybe $10 per bow. Just some quick math but seems like a good deal. So long as you can re-saw it.

[LittleBen]

Yeah they're 6" wide x 8ft, 3 boards. but the math is similar since I cut all my lams 36" or less and then splice. Probably gonna scoop that up.

[macbow]

Ben the formula is length x width x thickness (4/4) equals 1 inch. All in inches
Divided by 144.

Your board is 4 board feet if one inch thick.
Sounds like a good deal especially if all usable.

[Roy from Pa]

Send the address Ben, I'll go buy them. A set of 36" board billets cost $40.00 plus shipping. But since your such a nice guy, send them to me and I'll make them into billets and lams for ya for nutten. Let Canopy boy drop them off at my place.

[Zradix]

if the wood looks good and you can be fairly sure it isn't going to dry quick and crack... BUY IT! BUY IT NOW!....


..so you buy it yet?


lol

[Bowjunkie]

I recently got 26 osage boards that average 1" or more thick, 8' long, 6" wide for $150. It was cut in 1994 and stored indoors since then.

What's that figure out to? $1.44 a board foot? How'd I do? :^)

[Zradix]

!!! You guys tick me off!!!

lol...

Good finds guys!

[takefive]

Considering that I pay $75 for a 6' long 5/8" by 2" board, I'd say you did ok on that deal, Jeff.    

[Don Stokes]

Osage is a non-standard item and most mills won't even cut it. There is no established price that I'm aware of.

[LittleBen]

All good points! I think you did good Jeff.

Ended up buying just under 15 bdft for $150. It'll be alot of bows, and maybe some super heavy arrow shafts if I got crazy. Have some mulberry that's too short for bows that may also become arrows when I find the time.

Note to self ... Stop buying wood and save for pickup truck ... Audi TT is not adapted for transporting wood or deer ...

[Bowjunkie]

LMAO Ben. Was just telling someone yesterday about the time I hauled a dead buck in a Volkswagon Scirraco  

I use heavy hickory shafts almost exclusively, and have often wondered about making osage arrow shafts. Maybe now I'll try it.

[Brett Leinmiller]

I cut a lot of Osage for my folks. I've recently decided to try my hand at building bows. I've read through the first volume of The Traditional Bowyers Bible so I know what staves are desirable but I'd like to what one of these boards mentioned in this thread look like if anyone could post a pic. I'd like to see what you all consider reasobly clean in a larger piece. Thanks

[Roy from Pa]

Here are two lams out of very clean Osage.
   

Here is the grain I prefer, 1/4 sawn..
 

[LittleBen]

Roy what width do you build at with osage?

[Roy from Pa]

1 1/4 at flares to 1/2 at tips.