rematch me and osage

[WhitefeatherFout]

How long has thatstave been cut and drying with the bark and sapwood still on it?

[ohiocountryboy]

Not long cut in the fall last year

[Josh B]

I hate to say it, but if the wood is as twisted as the bark would suggest....your chances with this piece surviving to full draw aren't real good.  I truly hope its a trick of the lighting or camera angle that is making it look worse than it is.  Josh

[SLIMBOB]

Yep.  Looks like your grain my run out just past the handle if the bark is tellin' the story here.  I'd chase a ring and see.  If it runs out you got problemos.  Hope I'm just dead wrong.

[Fred Arnold]

The bark is normally a pretty good indicator but not always! Was it split or cut? If after taking the bark off you find the grain does run out in the fades close to handle area you may be able to cut it in half, turn them around, splice billets and heat straighten the tip ends.

[Chadwick]

I've broken bows that looked great until the pieces rained down around me, and I've scratched my head at wood which held together against all odds. You can take precautions with that wood - backing, wide limbs, short draw, low draw weight. Or you can just make it and if it breaks or not, yer learning! Just decide that you'll be satisfied no matter what happens.. guaranteed success.

[WhitefeatherFout]

I'd be concerned with the wood having checks in it if the sap and bark have been on that long.  You really need to remove the bark and sap as soon as possible after cutting and splitting and seal it up.  The bark does look like it runs out but bark can lie.

[ohiocountryboy]

Split out. Could it be saved if i use heat to line everything up once its shaved down?

[Josh B]

If it was split out then the bark is misrepresenting the grain.  It happens that way sometimes.  You should be fine in that case.  If you need to correct it you can use heat, but....if you just cut it last fall its not dry.  If you try to use dry heat on wet wood, it will split wide open.  My recommendation would be to chase a ring and immediately seal the back up before it checks.  Then put it up for a month more to finish drying.  After you seal the back, you could rough it out and get it to floor tiller which would help it dry faster.  In that case, a month would be adequate.  If you leave it in bigger dimensions, give it several months.  Josh

[ohiocountryboy]

Ok so i officially give up on osage chasing the ring that is,i used every vision aid / lighting set up in my possession its just not ment for me. Which really sucks cause i really like osage, if anyone has an osage stave with a ring chased  that even i might be able to complete please message me so we could work something out i know its cheating but i dont care anymore lol

[ohiocountryboy]

I didnt get 2" down the back lol  i just split fhe sapwood off,  my hopes are with some heat bending and a good backing i might have a chance

[H Rhodes]

Stay with ohiocountryboy!  I hated ring chasing and still get frustrated with it from time to time.  It will click for you eventually.  Just keep at it - the juice is worth the squeeze.

[ohiocountryboy]

[H Rhodes]

I can't really tell what the grain is doing further down, but from this end it looks like good bow wood to me.  If you can watch an experienced bowyer chase a ring it will be a big help.  Read the Traditional Bow Builder's Bible on ring chasing and then armed with that info proceed with your drawknife and scrapers.  I have to get into a zen like ring chasing mood to even try to fool with it.  If my mind and mood aren't right, I don't try to chase rings that day.  It takes concentration.  If you are distracted and in a hurry, you can sure mess one up quick.  Those rings look  good to me.  Before you spend any time on that though, pick you a spot in the middle of that stave and draw yourself a line following the flow of the grain from one end  to the other.  If you have enough wood on either side of that line to make a bow, then layout your side profile lines always following the grain.  If you need to straighten it up, you can do that later on down the road.  Like was suggested earlier, once you chase your ring seal the back so it won't check on you.  I like spray shellac for that.   Keep us posted on how it goes.   

[Sidewinder]

I have noticed that it is a bit tougher to really get a good clean ring chased on green osage. Sometimes likes to gouge and such. I like to get it to roughly first ring past the sap wood and seal it with shellac and then let it cure at least 8-9mths or more. Then when its drier chase a ring. You could even rough it out after the inital debark and seal the back and then it will decrease the drying time. When your dealing with cured osage, chasing a ring becomes much easier to follow, even with micro rings because the early growth stuff gets somewhat chalky compared to the late growth. Most of the stuff I'm working now though is all 3yrs old or older so make sure you harvest enough so you have excess from yr to yr that has a chance to really cure well. Thats what I try to do anyway. Stick with it, you'll be glad you did. Osage is awesome bow wood, its worth the effort.  Danny