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SAVE THE SAPWOOD!!!!

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D. Tiller:
Well, I just learned a cool thing from a friend of mine, Dave Tinsley. Turns out that if you remove the sapwood from Osage with a band saw before drying and save it and then when both peices are dry laminate them together and they will make a bow that will outshoot yew! I know, I know this is hard to believe but Dave Tinsley learned this from Don Adams in Oregon. So I believe this to be true and will try it out someday!  ;D

sonny:
why not simply chase a sapwood ring, leaving a ring or two on the back ??
   

D. Tiller:
From what I heard the sapwood will dry faster than the heartwood and cause checking. If its removed it will dry at its own rate and the heart rate at its rate and no checking should occur. Dont know if this is true or not but I think its worth a try. Anyone out there want to try it?

Ryano:
Yes, well thats a laminated bow not a selfbow, its not really the same thing so it would be hard to compare. ::)

Ive seen several osage selfbows with sapwood backs and they were nothing to brag about performance wise. It will make a bow but its not as good as the heart wood.

tom sawyer:
Its possible to leave sapwood on and not have checking too.  You need to leave the bark on and dry slowly, and it takes a little luck.  I happen to have a couple of staves with intact sapwood, I've been toying with the idea of leaving some sapwood on at least one of them.  They are thick enough that I wouldn't have to, so it'd be a gamble.  I do think the sapwood is probably a little lower in mass, since the heartwood does contain a good deal of extractives.  And it should still retain much of its elasticity since most of this would come from the fibers.

I tend to agree with Ryan though, I have to think that if there were a real advantage then you'd already be seeing it done.

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