Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bjrogg on January 19, 2018, 11:26:39 am
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My cousin gave me a Osage log last winter. I split it took off sapwood and sealed back and ends with shellac. It got four very crooked stave when they dried. I roughed this one out and did a little straightening last summer. i got it out this winter and chased a ring. My brother asked is that wood really that color. I told him yes it's Osage the "King Of Bow Woods". He looked at the very crooked stave and said looks like firewood to me. I was kinda wondering the same thing but I had to give it a try. I was amazed how nice it bent with dry heat. Nothing at all like HHB. I really like how it works with draw knife and rasp to. Also much easier than HHB. It's not prettied up yet or even sanded but I did take it out hunting awhile back. I've been working on a few bows now and haven't posted one in awhile. It's plain Jane Osage totally naked.
60" n-t-n
52@ 25"
Seems pretty snappy compared to HHB.
I try to get some better pictures when I finish it up. Might be my first Osage but sure won't be my last.
Bjrogg
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Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. It was so bright outside you just couldn't see the camera.
Bjrogg
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Welcome aboard the osage train, slow poke! Its a good looking bow, BJ. Nice job.
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Thanks Pearl, I can see why people like it.
Bjrogg
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Looks nice your hooked now 😃
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Nice one
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congrats on the beautiful bow and on discovering Osage!
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Thats a good looking bow. I love the recurves. Great job!
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Yes BJ! I love that characteristic "bjrogg" tiller you get... looks spot on as usual. Somehow I just get the feeling that your bows hit very hard. There's nothin like Osage, it's the King indeed!
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Good job !!! Osage is amazing !!!!
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Nice bow.
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nice bow BJ.....love those static recurves.
DBar
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nice Job cant wait to see the finish product!
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Thanks for all the kind words everyone. I've been breaking tanned hides for the past three hours. Just checked back in. I love the smell of breaking hides in the evening.
Thanks for looking
Bjrogg
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BJ,
I have to say I enjoy your posts and you have been a great addition to the site, But I do have to embarrass my self and ask what does "breaking" tanned hides mean??
DBar
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Bill it's the last step in tanning unless you smoke them. When your all done with tanning and the hides are drying you have to break them by pulling them and twisting and sanding and stretching the hide. It has to be done at the right time as it dries and different parts dry faster or slower than others. If you stretch it it should turn white. If it doesn't it's to wet. If it's to dry you won't be able to stretch it. The more you break it the softer it'll be. I've got six mink. One coon. Fourteen muskrats. No fox yet. Not even to replace the ones I took off my walls and traded at Marshall.
Bjrogg
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Nice looking bow
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Good job BJ
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What does it say when I look at the strung, unstrung, and full draw and think to myself...."typical"?
Looks to me like you are predictable when it comes to hitting your marks for tillering. I think that really says a lot about your level of craftsmanship, it is consistency. Nice work. Anyone not proud to have that one on their rack just doesn't get it.
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Welcome to the "Dark side" BJ :BB ! Just a heads up tho - better stock up on Yella wood - You'll never go back :OK. Great lookin Bow - Bob.
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About time on the osage!!!! Good looking bow BJ.
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Bjrogg,
Nice build man... See that yeller dust on your pants :BB...Can't go wrong with some good Sage... :OK
Don
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Thanks Joe and guy
Thanks JW, I always figured I'm more of a jack of all trades master of none type guy. I know there's much better bowyers on this site but I can see improvement from beginning to present. I would agree my bows have become predictable and I have learned what I can get from a piece of wood. I still build pretty workhorse style bow but I pushed this one slightly more. It's about four inches shorter than my normal HHB and much narrower. I really should weigh it. I feels ridiculously light in my hand. I do really like its size and weight.
Thanks Bob everything is "dark" compared to HHB.lol.
Thanks Paul, that's my biggest regret about my first Marshall trip. I should have bought a bunch of Osage. I got some this year one stave from Clint, traded for one of Matt's Osage blanks and ended up with all the leftovers from Frank all of which where picked over. Plus I've got four more from this log.
Don that yellow dust sure does show up everywhere.lol should have seen me the night before.
Thanks everyone
Bjrogg
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Very nice looking bow BJ. I'm looking forward to seeing your 2nd osage bow.
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BJ thats a great lookin bow.you should be proud.if we werent so far apart id give you another stave of osage to work on.again great job.
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Looks mighty fine to me BJ. A solid looking bow.
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Thanks Clint I have two more shooting from the same log. They both need a little more weight taken off yet.
Thanks ohma2 I'm pretty proud of all my stuff and love showing it to people who appreciate it. It's funny when people come in our farm shop and see it. It usually takes a hour for them to look at everything and sometimes my brother gets frustrated that it takes so long but he's just as interested as anyone.
Thanks Steve I really liked your sinew backed Osage. I got one of them on my bucket list. That really had a sweet bend sir.
Bjrogg
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BJ that is one nice bow. Congrats on job well done. Got to love that Osage . Arvin
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BJ,your first osage bow looks great.
When your brother asked about the color you could have sad yes that's the color but not for too long.
I like to watch osage change color.
Jawge
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Great job! I really like your recurves! I sure wish I had some osage, that stuff is more expensive than gold here in europe so will have to stick to Black locust for a while :laugh:
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Very nice bow! :)
Mike
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Thanks Arvin
George I did tell him. I have one other Osage bow that I won at raffle at Marshall last year. It's a bend through the handle birch Bark backed Osage bow. It was made by Greg aka Badly Bent. It has darkened nicely.
Thanks Leonwood. I wish I had more Osage here to. I did get some very small trees started in Ed's wife Robins greenhouse that I transplanted this past summer. Don't know if I'll last long enough to make a bow from one but time will tell. I've got some really crooked Mulberry that is a relative so I'm told. I know you've made some nice bows from Mulberry.
Thanks Mike
Thanks everyone for looking
Bjrogg
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Looks good BJ.
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And now you know why Osage is the King of bow wood. Nice job with that one, Buddy.
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Thanks Rob
Thanks Eddie, yes I certainly can see why this wood is "King". I very much enjoyed working with it.
Thanks so much for all the replies everyone. Really wasn't expecting so many nice replies from a totally naked bow. I guess it shows that people do still like a simple stick with a nice bend.
Bjrogg
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Beautiful bow BJ, very well done. :)
Pappy
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Nice osage bow BJ.Osage was meant to be bow wood.
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Very nice bow, BJ. Gotta love that osage. :OK
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Thanks Pappy
Thanks Ed
Thanks Pat
Gee maybe someday I'll grow up and make bows as nice as you guys.
Bjrogg