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Post by scrub-buster on Jan 28, 2012 19:21:41 GMT -5
Today I finished a project that I started in late July. Harvesting a monster osage tree. This tree fell over a creekbed several years ago. My brother-in-law and Dad helped me cut it and drag it out. After that, I did the rest. Here are a few pics. The tree  The rings  My brother-in-law helping out  I had to split it into chunks so we could get it out of the creek  Sections waiting to be split into staves  My pile of shavings  109 staves and 6 billets from one osage tree  |
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Post by dadfsr on Jan 28, 2012 19:44:28 GMT -5
Scrub-I'm still having a hard believing that you found an osage-orange that was that straight and that large....what an incredible find!!! You know there would have been a lot of people that would have just thought they had found a heck of a lot of firewood!
Was this a storm damaged tree that came down IIRC??
I've thought for many years that hedgeapple was a species that should be researched out and varieties offered....imagine what a single stemmed, thornless/seedless variety would do for some of our tough urban settings??? I've had a few people laugh at me for voicing those thoughts but why were ever thornless/seedless varieties of honey locust developed???
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Post by scrub-buster on Jan 28, 2012 22:00:27 GMT -5
I don't think it was storm damaged. With it being so tall, it was just to heavy for the roots to support it. The soil is loose in that area. I found it several years ago. It just took me a while to get the nerve up to tackle it. This is by far the tallest and straightest osage I have ever seen. And I would be all for a thornless variety of osage.
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Post by Blackstick on Jan 28, 2012 23:28:55 GMT -5
That’s incredible. I’m still trying to learn to identify those trees. I’ve got along way to travel in making my first selfbow.
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Post by grey squirrel on Jan 29, 2012 13:31:32 GMT -5
Dang! Impressive Scrub for sure.
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Post by Blackstick on Jan 29, 2012 15:10:14 GMT -5
That one between the two overhead doors looks to be a real challenge. I would like to see pictures of that one when you get around to it.
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Post by scrub-buster on Jan 29, 2012 15:19:55 GMT -5
There were a few "character" staves. I would like to try to make a bow from one of those with the handle right in that bend. I have a stave from another tree that had a bullet stuck lodged in it. The tree grew around it. When I roughted out the bow, it has a big hole in the middle of the limb. I am going to try to finish that one up soon.
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Post by danf on Jan 29, 2012 15:31:40 GMT -5
Ok, enlighten me as to what a "billet" is?
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Post by scrub-buster on Jan 29, 2012 15:55:49 GMT -5
Basically, half a stave. You take two short pieces like around 36" long and you splice them together. The splice will be in the handle of the bow. It won't bend there so it won't break. When you put a leather handle wrap on it, you can't tell it was 2 pieces.
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Post by Hood on Jan 30, 2012 9:55:35 GMT -5
Wow! That's awesome!!!
If you ever consider selling one of those, please let me know.
Thanks
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Post by ms660 on Jan 30, 2012 19:29:58 GMT -5
I bet you spent a lot of time either behind a file or a grinder sharpening chains. Hedge apple -osage orange is pure hell on chains. I can always tell when someones been cutting it when they bring me their chains to sharpen.
That has to be the largest, straightest HA tree I have seen. Most around here are twisted and crooked and grow out instead of up. The apples make good spider repellent when placed around the foundation of your house, also they make good exploding targets if your guns big enough.
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Post by scrub-buster on Mar 9, 2012 15:32:08 GMT -5
I made a hide away storage rack for some of the staves. It rolls under my work bench and out of the way. I made a redneck hinge on the back corner so it pivots there and only the one end pulls out. I used too small of casters on it so now I have to unload it and put some bigger ones on it.   |
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