Critr-Gitr

Okay, I am looking to cut an osage tree to get some staves out of, what do I look for? My brother-in-law has a 1/2 mile long shelter belt full of them, what characteristics does the right tree have?

I am thinking: Straight for at least 70", minimal twisting, minimal knots.

What diameter should I be looking for?

When should I cut it?

burniegoeasily

This time of year, big green wrinkly apple like fruit. We always called them horse apples. Also, thorny branches. and once you cut into the heart wood, a bright yellow.

diameter, about 6" up, you want to find them think enough to split and let dry. Also, when you cut one, look for grain that is not very tight.

When to cut, winter is the best time for osage. Most other woods you want to cut in spring and no later than early summer.

Here are some staves seasoning.

Critr-Gitr

This is one of those old planted shelterbelts, don't know who (WPA ?) or how long ago it was planted, but it has been a long time. They planted these shelterbelts around here in rows, with the same kind of trees in each row. They planted LOTS of osage (we call themhorse apples or bodark), and some of these trees are pretty old. I have seen quite a few 12" or better. Do branches work as well as trunks?

burniegoeasily

Either. You just want to make sure you have plenty of heart wood.

And yes, bodark, bois d arc, horse apple, hedge apple, osage apple, osage orange,etc. are all names used for the osage.

whitearcher1386

I cut two, identical looking, osage limbs a few months back. Both were 10-12" in diameter and @76" long. One had little twist but was heavily knotted on the top. The other had @ 90* of twist in it. The twist wasn't visible when I cut it.

I got several good staves out of both limbs. Even a stave with a 60-90* helicopter twist will make a bow and when strung will often straighten out nicely. It's pretty cool seeing people's reactions to a crooked bow that shoots. Unfortunately I have seen more of these than have had time to shape out.

Critr-Gitr

I would be one of those people that had the funny reaction. I am a perfectionist, and a twisted bow would drive me batty. Not saying it wouldn't work, just saying it would drive me crazy.

burniegoeasily

A great thing about osage is, it bends easy with heat. I took a stave a buddy of mine had, that had too tight of grain to make a selfbow with, and cut a slat out of it. It was pretty twisted, so I used a heat gun, c-clamp, and a vice and bent it straight. Its now has bamboo glued to it and will become a bamboo backed R-D long bow. Ive had some issues with the epoxy I used and a part of the bamboo is trying to delam, so once I finish injecting the delam spots and get it all tight agian, ill tiller her out.