Going to try a self bow from osage, need some advice on which ring to chase. I pencil marked the one I think is right. Any input appreciated. Carl

he second one under the mass of extra tight rings, If you goof up you have plenty more below it to try to chase.

Yes that looks like a good ring. I would also take into consideration the thickness that would be left after chasing the ring for the back. Would I have enough thickness in the handle area to make the size and shape of handle I want?

Thanks for the input. I chased a ring up from the one marked, on one end it is thin, other end fine. How thick of a ring do you need? I have 1 3/4" in handle area now. If I need to go down to next ring can I lay out bow now and rough shape it before chasing another ring? Carl

Thanks for the input. I chased a ring up from the one marked, on one end it is thin, other end fine. How thick of a ring do you need? I have 1 3/4" in handle area now. If I need to go down to next ring can I lay out bow now and rough shape it before chasing another ring? Carl

Thanks for the input. I chased a ring up from the one marked, on one end it is thin, other end fine. How thick of a ring do you need? I have 1 3/4" in handle area now. If I need to go down to next ring can I lay out bow now and rough shape it before chasing another ring? Carl

Up

How much you need in thickness at the handle area depends on your personal handle preference. 1/8" thicker or thinner than I really like seems to make a big difference, but I'm pretty picky ;^) If you're not sure what you want, leave a little extra wood there for now, then as shaping the bow progresses, shape it and reduce it a little at a time until it feels right in your hand... maybe just a hair small if you're going to add a leather grip as it will increase the handle size a little.

What is the moisture content of this stave? If you knew for certain it was pretty dry, say 8-10% moisture content, you could chase rings directly to the bow's back, NOT seal it, and have it done except for perhaps final sanding. I prefer to do this if possible before reducing the limbs in thickness, just in case something shows up or tears up with further wood removal, or I booger up a ring and have to go down one more... so you want to be at, or very close to, the final back of the bow before reducing the limb areas in thickness.

If it still has moisture to lose, I'd still continue into the earlywood ring above the bow's back, but leave a thin veil of it there, covering your target ring, and then immediately seal it with shellac or something similar. This way, it won't check as it finishes drying, and once it IS fully dried, the shellac and earlywood can be scraped and sanded off to reveal the pristine ring that will be the back of the bow. Done this way, you're still close enough to the bow's back that you can continue on and begin to layout and reduce thickness in the limb areas.

The stave was cut 2 years ago. I was concerned mostly about the thickness of the ring I have now. Do they have to be a minimum thickness? If not I will leave it where it is. So far I have reduced limb thickness down to7/8" with bandsaw will leave there until I get back finished.

No, there's not really a minimal thickness. It's more important that it isn't violated, worked through, or nicked, etc. I've made osage selfbows with growth rings of 36-40 per inch. The one you're down to now will work fine if it's unmolested.

Ok it's good. Thanks a lot for the help Jeff. I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road.

That is a really nice stave. I actually don't see any bad rings but the 4th heartwood ring dow strikes my fancy. Jawge

If enough wood left for handle I agree with jawge. But Jeff is also right. That one will make a bow. Good luck on your bow build. Arvin

Correct this if it isn't right. My understanding is thin rings are good for the bow. That just make it harder for the bowyer. >>>>-----> Ken

Please post more pics as you go. I enjoy seeing how you guys do this!

That's close enough to be about right, 2bear.

I've never had a problem with tight rings in osage, either. But, like Jeff, I don't cut into the summer growth of the back ring AT ALL. Folks that do scrape into it seem to prefer a thick ring.

Seems to me they are still violating back fibers. I've seen layers like "lunar rings" while working down through a thick annual ring.

But (and I don't see much talk of this)- sometimes when osage is thin-ringed its not good due to high spring growth:summer growth thickness ratio. As long as there appears to be thicker dark rings than light rings at the cut end, ring thickness is okay.

My experience makes me actually more concerned about this earlywood:latewood ratio at the belly ring level because we need strong wood to resist compression and set, while seemingly any well-chased ring will hold the back together.

Buzal I agree with the ratio part totally. The lunar rings I have violated without to much concern. Doing so to get a flatter back to spread the tension more even over the back. Getting a real even belly also. Was on the thin ring and more ring side for some years. But have had two bows change my thinking as of late. Arvin

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