Anyone ever see this happen to Osage Bark?

[shamus]

Three staves, all 10 years old. The one on the right has all of it's bark intact. The ones on the left have lost some of their outer bark during various moves and other knocks and scraps. The inner bark on those two has turned black in some places. Does anyone know what this means, or why it turned black?

[Pat B]

The black is probably a fungi that got into the cambium after the tree was cut, probably during the early stages of seasoning. The heartwood of osage is quite rot resistant so you shouldn't worry about that.  Those look like nice chunks of osage and they are well cured for bow making. How are the growth rings?     Pat

[shamus]

earylwood to latewood ratio are tight on the staves. I'd say the growth tings are 1/8" thick.

I've knocked a little bit of the sapwood off one of them and the heartwood wood appears to be blackened a little bit, but that may sand out. I'll keep working on it and try to post pictures later.

Osage is heartwood at supposed to be resistant to rot, so I'm being optimistic that the wood will still be sound.

side question: can this mold affect other staves if I store them next to my "clean" ones?

[Pat B]

Mold spores are prevalent everywhere. There is nothing you can do to eliminate them...or it would have been done long ago for allergy sufferers. Specific fungi have specific hosts that they prefer(or rely on) so what might attack hickory would not necessarily attack osage. Osage can sit on, or in the ground for years and still be good for bow wood after proper drying. Leave a hickory on the ground for 2 weeks under most conditions and the fungi has already started to attack it. That is the job of the fungi.
   I wouldn't worry about the fungi on the osage. Make a bow and if you are worried about the 1/8" rings, back it with raw hide or silk and you should have no problems with it. I have made very good osage bows with very thin ringed osage(perfect ring count for yew). They took a bit of set but are good shooters that I would trust under any conditions. I usually add raw hide backings to thin ringed osage for safety reasons and to make me feel better. Pat

[shamus]

I worked both staves down to one growth ring, and they were fine.

one stave had a little of the black stuff on it but it's so slight that it should sand off.

thanks , Pat for your input on this. I got to learn a little today.  

[Pat B]

When we quit learning, its time to give it up!   Have fun.     Pat

[Dave2old]

Shamus -- That was the infamous "Black Curse" that comes to those who put off too long turning good staves into good bows! Your superficial scraping has removed the Curse only temporarily. Beware: Let's see three fine finished selfbows ... before it all turns to discolored dust. (-:  dave

[GameGetter]

thats good dave!

[shamus]

Dave,

ha ha!

if that mold comes back NOW, I'd be surprised!