Osage Board, Next Step?

[DesertFox]

I found a nice straight piece of osage at a local shop recently. I was LOOKING for hickory, but the hickory boards were really snakey.

Anyway, I've worked it down to one ring most of the way down, but the surface the ring provides is going to leave me with a really twisted bow (pics to follow). I'm curious if it would be more intelligent to use the side of the board as the back since the grain along the side is quite straight and parallel or if I should build it to the single ring and try to heat it and straighten it. Or heck, I could just make it a really twisted bow I guess.

   

   

[Pat B]

You'll get a lot more bow building material if you saw it up into blanks for making backed bows. If you split it into staves you'll only get 3 or 4.

[DesertFox]

Oh, it's not that thick at the other end of the board. The board I got this piece from had a huge check in it, went all the way through. So the other end of the board is maybe 4 inches or so wide. I'm really only expecting to get 1 MAYBE 2 bows out of it.

Not to mention finding backing material near me is difficult. Unless a rawhide backing is good enough. I have some sinews I could process, but no hide glue, just titebond.

[macbow]

Nothing wrong with Titebond 2 and especially 3 for applying sinew.

Is the bottom edge of that board good all the way through?

Maybe go down several inches then chase.

[LittleBen]

I've been making my hide glue from Knox gelatin and that seems to work well. Not very expensive either.

Try bamboo for backing. I ordered 25 slats from maybe Cali bamboo and it was pretty decent.

[KellyG]

That is a very nice board what is the dementions?

[Wolftrail]

I wish I had that chunk, like Pat says cut 'er up into blanks for backing.

[LittleBen]

I just bought 3 osage boards like that. live edge.

I thought about chasing a ring for a selfbow or two from the board edge. The problem is that if the grain is wavy side to side you might have alot of grain violation and not realize it.

Think about it, when someone makes an osage bow from a stave, they don't just chase a ring but they follow the grain when shaping the side profile too ... herein lies the problem.

[Bowjunkie]

I'd saw it up and back them with bamboo.

[mikkekeswick]

Titebond isn't great for use with sinew - it takes practically forever to dry completely. Hide glue can be made easily from a rawhide dog chew, sinew scraps will also make a superb glue or just use gelatine (pureified hideglue).
Man I wish we got boards like that for sale in this country! My local woodyard just got a large slab of osage in maybe 12 inches wide by 3 -4 thick and 8 foot long - price = £900......err no thanks I think i'll leave that!

[John Scifres]

More info is needed.  Dimensions and pics of the piece all the way around would really help. A really well focused pic of the back grain would be great.

It is rare for osage grain to run so straight as to saw a board like that and not have runouts in the side grain.  They can be bow killers.

You may also have a hard time getting your desired width once you square up the sides.

[John Scifres]

I successfully use titebond for sinew.

[LittleBen]

thats 28 quid/bdft .... thats $45.75/bdft according to google currency calculator.

[DesertFox]

The grain actually followed the cut through most of the board too, believe it or not. I decided to follow my instincts and chase out a good ring, follow the grain for layout, and then heat out the twist. SO FAR looks like the right choice if not less economical.

Keep in mind, I have nothing but hand tools here. I can't grind thin backing materials evenly. I may still use some sinew on the back with titebond since the grain DOES run a few degrees off center in the last 8 to 10 inches of one of the limbs.

[LittleBen]

pictures pictures

[DesertFox]

Pictures will come eventually  :p
I don't own a working camera so I have to wait for the room mate to take pictures...

I'll make sure to dig up the thread and post updates. This will be my first Osage bow for ME, first one for an adult, and fourth osage bow overall.