Osage still okay to use ?

[Joec123able]

So I split this Osage log open and it looks like there is an ant colony living in it and some slight rot in the center it should still be okay for bows right ?

[JackCrafty]

 

[Joec123able]

Just so you know all the black stuff is not ants lol

[Hamish]

 You will be fine. By the time you have selected a growth ring for the back, then worked them down into bow blanks, all the bad stuff is likely to be gone.
Tricky stave because of the twist, it will need heat straightening to make a good bow.

[Joec123able]

You will be fine. By the time you have selected a growth ring for the back, then worked them down into bow blanks, all the bad stuff is likely to be gone.
Tricky stave because of the twist, it will need heat straightening to make a good bow.

Ohh yea I know the bows that come from this log are gonna be tough to make I split it into four looks like only one stave won't need to be straightened

[blackhawk]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=32712.0
https://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=32585.0

Both came from dead standing osage tree with extensive carpenter ant damage

[osage outlaw]

It should be fine to use.  If you have a big osage log you are lucky if the center is like that.  Makes it much easier to split.

[Joec123able]

Thanks guys and beautiful bows black hawk

[PatM]

Looks like you split it the wrong way. I would have just tried to get one reflexed and one deflexed out of it rather than 4 of them bent off to the side.

[Joec123able]

Looks like you split it the wrong way. I would have just tried to get one reflexed and one deflexed out of it rather than 4 of them bent off to the side.

Actually I did exactly that you cant tell in the pic but the stave is a lot more Curvy from the side plus I split it into four staves anyway I got two staves with deflex and one reflex at each tip and two staves with reflex and one deflexed tip each