Growth Rings

[David_Daugherty]

I was just curious as to what other people do to get the back of their bow down to one growth ring.  I was taught to use my pocket knife and scrape away the milk ring as you work your way up the bow.  Yes this is very effective but yet time consuming and causes many blisters lol.  I worked a piece of osage today roughly 70" long with very tight growth rings and it took me about 8 hours to work the wood to within one growth ring.  If anyone has any other method, please leave a comment.

[Bevan R.]

I use a bigget (8" blade) drawknife to get down close to the ring I want. Then I use a small (4" blade) drawknife to chase the final ring. On a clear (no knots, relatively straight) it takes me maybe 30 minutes to get to the ring I want.

Bevan

[David_Daugherty]

Thanks Bevan, I will have to try that.  I will probably have to work something other than Osage though.

[okie64]

I use a big drawknife for all the ring chasin. I can chase a ring on clean osage in about 30 minutes or so. Knotty osage is a whole different ballgame.

[DRon knife]

wow...30 minutes ??  I better keep practicing!

[David_Daugherty]

No kidding!!  My 8 hours is really sad

[mikekeswick]

Draw-knife to get close then a very sharp cabinet scraper to finesse the rest off. Remember what you are exposing is going to be the back of your bow and needs to be worked carefully.

[sleek]

I use a dull draw knife, then switch to a 6 inch very sharp knife. Regadless as to how long it takes you, remember this. The time it takes you to make it will be allot less than the amount of time you spend shooting it. In other words, it doesnt matter how long it takes you so long as you do a good job, dont rush it and sacrifice quality. As you do more, you will find you cant help but get faster at it.

[okie64]

My first post might have sounded arrogant but i didnt mean it that way. Chasin rings is like a lot of other things, the more you do it the easier it gets. I sometimes spend a couple hours going back and touching up around knots.

[Del the cat]

I've only worked Osage once ans I found it much easier than Yew as the difference in texture between the rings is so pronounced. The good stuff is pretty hard and the crumbly stuff is, well pretty crumbly.
I think with practice you can get bolder and use the drawknife. It's finding what works for you, I like to use the D/knife to scrape as well as cut. With the blade upright and the bevel towards you, pushing it away gives a nlce scraping action whigh really removes or roughs up the crumbly stuff taking it right off, or making it show up better for removing with the scraper/rasp/file/whatever.
Another fave' is to hold one handle solidly agianst my thigh and push the other away, this gives very close control but with plenty of power.
Hmmm is this begining to sound silly?
I find chasing Yew rings is pretty laborious as there is not such an obvious difference between the layers and the rings are closer. If the light isn't just right then forget it, fortunately Yew isn't so fussy, presumably because the wood is more homogenous.
Del

[George Tsoukalas]

It takes me a little while. Depends on whether there's knots and such. I use a drawknife and assorted other tools. I'm in no hurry when I make bows. Info on my site. Jawge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/Jawge/Fixing%20a%20twist/00small62434721.jpg

[PEARL DRUMS]

My first post might have sounded arrogant but i didnt mean it that way. Chasin rings is like a lot of other things, the more you do it the easier it gets. I sometimes spend a couple hours going back and touching up around knots.

Well spoken Okie!

[gstoneberg]

Okie's right.  Chasing a ring is like everything else in life.  The more you do it, the better at it you get.  And, at the point you get overconfident, you'll begin to screw up.  Also, the stave determines how fast you can go.   Once in a blue moon you'll come across a stave with no knots and wide rings that can be chased in a few minutes.  Once in a while you'll find a stave with so many hidden knots, tight rings and swirly grain that it can't be done in a day.  Most are in between.  On osage, the draw knife is by far the best tool.  The amount of light you put on the stave and its placement can really help you.  I don't sweat leaving some winter wood as I do the back with the draw knife.  Then I go back with a big old butcher knife I use as a scraper to clean it up.  My trade bow was a royal pain as the stave back has a trough that runs nearly end to end which had to be completely scraped.

I've taught many people to chase a growth ring the first time and that average is easily 8 hours or more (going from bark to bow back).  I had one guy who was a wood worker and had used a draw knife.  Even he took about 4 or 5 hours.  Don't sweat the time, but don't be afraid to do more with the draw knife than you're doing now.  What's the worst that will happen if you mess up...you'll have to chase the next ring.  The thing that sped up my draw knifing the most was when I stopped worrying about violating the ring.  I just go after the first good ring I see and if I violate it by mistake there's another growth ring right under it I can use.  It didn't take long and I wasn't violating any more.  Confidence is a powerful ally.

Good luck.

George

[Del the cat]

...  The thing that sped up my draw knifing the most was when I stopped worrying about violating the ring.  I just go after the first good ring I see and if I violate it by mistake there's another growth ring right under it I can use... 
George

Yup, well said...
Del

[osage outlaw]

I have a drawknife that only gets used to chase rings.  When I get to the ring that I want with it, I stop as soon as I see the crunchy spring growth.  When I'm done, the back of the bow looks rough.  I will leave it like that until I am done tillering.   When I'm ready to do the finish work on the bow, I'll take a scraper and sandpaper to remove what's left of the porous spring growth ring.