Locating & Identifying Osage Orange and Black Locust in Winter In Alabama

[ropensaddle]

PM me the specs. I'll let you know when we get the trees down. A close-up of a cross-section of what you're looking for would help.

Here is a good stave picture I guess quarter sawn would be the method to produce the staves but I'm definitely no mill man lol


/ SOLD / Rift Sawn Osage Orange Bow Stave smith-lumber.com - YouTube

 

[Sagetown]

That's some of the straightest Osage I've ever seen. It appears that it needs to grow in a well wooded area to achieve this type of conformation.

 

[ropensaddle]

Yeah

That's some of the straightest Osage I've ever seen. It appears that it needs to grow in a well wooded area to achieve this type of conformation.

The 80% thing I admit was likely exaggerated, I went back home for this bow in my pic and several I made as gifts. I only found one on 20 acres suitable and it was less than optimal so the percentage might be more like 90%! The problem is if knotty the making of the back is way too tedious because the grain in the knot areas raises and thins and the back has to be one continuous growth ring tip to tip or it will break! I have used knotty but its not going to be a self bow and must be backed with sinue or bamboo etc!

If just slight twist to grain it can be heated and straightened but optimal is what you really want as it already takes so much time to produce the bow!

 

[Mac88]

Rift sawn. That generates a tremendous amount of waste, and is a real PITA to accomplish. The log has to be rotated a fraction of a turn for each cut. Do a WIKI for "rift sawing". You'll see how it works.

 

[ropensaddle]

Rift sawn. That generates a tremendous amount of waste, and is a real PITA to accomplish. The log has to be rotated a fraction of a turn for each cut. Do a WIKI for "rift sawing". You'll see how it works.

Yeah, that is one of the reasons I would prefer to just split the log into staves. The other is, I look at the end of log and can tell where my bows will be!

 

[tuneshop]

rope, I see you are around hot springs. Is Mcalester Ok too far to drive? I have quite a few hedge trees and if you truly want to cut some ,I think we can find a few.

 

[tuneshop]

looking back at previos posts I'll have to admit 25 dbh is rare, but still might be findable in the creek bottoms on my place.

 

[ReggieT]

Just scored my 1st batch...never woulda recognized it without you and couple of others!
Thanks!!

Black locust: 2 standing, one down.

Thorns on young wood only, they drop off when 2 or 3 years old, short but sharp and sting/burn like a mutha.

Looking for a closeup of a round. Best I can find right now. If I can't find one I'll take a pic tomorrow.

Note the deeply furrowed bark. Grain is tight, very much tighter than hedge.

For "funsies" cut some after dark to see the pretty sparks coming off your chain.

A better shot but still doesn't show the rings well;

A better shot of the rings:

Harry K

 

[ReggieT]

Just scored my 1st batch...never woulda recognized it without you and couple of others!
Thanks!!

Hedge:

Hedge Apples:

 

[Mac88]

:msp_thumbsup: :msp_thumbsup: :msp_thumbsup:

 

[ropensaddle]

rope, I see you are around hot springs. Is Mcalester Ok too far to drive? I have quite a few hedge trees and if you truly want to cut some ,I think we can find a few.

No its about 5 hrs I go that way visiting dad anyway just hard to leave much lately! I will definitely give you a holler if coming that way the 20 acers we have in platter flats just don't have any trees left !

 

[ropensaddle]

looking back at previos posts I'll have to admit 25 dbh is rare, but still might be findable in the creek bottoms on my place.

Don't have to be 25 dbh I might use coming that way to visit pops sorta a double sweet thing! I usually come down that backroad out of poteau and comes in by the lake!