Please can somebody explaing chasing the growth ring for a dummy.

[TheDukesArchers]

Ok, so I plan on making a few English longbows out of some elm and ash staves I have. I normally make backed bows, but now I'm going to shoot for a self bow. I understand a stave will have multiple growth rings and I need one continuous ring for the back of the bow? What I don't understand is how I'm meant to chase it.

Imagine for a second if you could just feel of the layers of wood from a stave, would each new layer being peeled result in a new growth ring? If so that would be less than 1mm thick for every layer peeled. I don't understand how I'm meant to keep within that as one small nick would mean I've gone down to the next ring? A small dent of 1 mm would mean I'm down to the next layer?

Sorry if I'm being confusing.

[bubby]

need to know what kind of wood you are working with

[PatM]

There is no need to chase rings on either of these woods. Just peel the bark.
 However woods like Ash and to a lesser extent Elm have a pretty clear dividing line of early wood that will remind you of a crumbly glueline. You basically remove wood until you see a hint of that and then make the  whole back look like that.

[huisme]

I think I cover it okay-ish in this build along. Use the site search, or "primitive archer ring chasing" on google.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,44858.0.html

But for those woods you should be able to just peel the bark and have at it.

[4dog]

awww cmon guys ..someone could have had just a wee tiny bit of fun with this...lol

[PAHunter]

It takes patience and precision but is a very learnable skill.  Check out Mike's video for an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8aRn9dXxE0

[bubby]

actually Mickey Lotz covered it well and with pics in the last three issues of pa

[Bogaman]

For me the key thing is getting the proper light on the subject. Sunlight seems to be best. If I lose the ring I will put some water on it. That helps me find it again. Of course if your from Okie or Texas, you guys got the big rings. Takin it down to one ring is not hard with your yellow wood. Bob's 2cents

[Bogaman]

Of course, I'm blind in one eye and can hardly see out the other is the reason I mention light. If all else fails I use the 'LaBraille Technique'. That's how I got the nickname 'Fast Fingers Bob'.

[dwardo]

awww cmon guys ..someone could have had just a wee tiny bit of fun with this...lol

Oh so tempting 

My new go to tool for chasing a ring on yew especially is a microplane rasp. Then a scraper.

[Mad Max]

I USE 2 PAIR OF READING GLASSES 3 POWER AND 2.75 POWER
If you can't see it you can't do it
Get you a  stave that is not any good, or one that has plenty of thickness and get out side in the light.
sand 1 end and sides for about 12" or so you can see the ring running down the sides and end.
*****look at the end and sides you can see the two different colors*****  early and late growth rings
Take it slow, the best way to learn is to DO IT. when you get to a different color (lighter) of wood, keep moving down the stave, come back with a cabinet scraper and scrape on that different color wood until you see your ring.
EARLY GROWTH RINGS ARE THINNER AND SOFTER, LATE GROWTH RINGS ARE THICKER AND HARDER

If I missed something guy's please add to or correct me.
I like this youtube by Clay Hayes

Building a Selfbow - Part 1: Backing an Osage Stave

[George Tsoukalas]

Chasing is ony needed for osage, mulberry and the locusts.
For whitewoods, as Pat said, take off the bark and make a bow.
Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Eric Krewson]

For the visibly challenged I have one word, OPTVISORS! I don't need them for ring chasing but they sure come in handy when you just can't make out fine details. They come in a lot of powers with 5 being the best for middle of the road work. Mine are 7s which only have a focal length of a few inches, requiring one to be a little too close to the work in some cases.

If nothing else, they are great for locating splinters in your hands that need extraction.

[JW_Halverson]

If nothing else, they are great for locating splinters in your hands that need extraction.

Oh yeah!!!   Another trick for removing small splinters (and find cactus spines) is to coat the effected area with a thin smear of TiteBond and a square of tissue paper.  Let it dry for 10 minutes and peel it off! 

Brazilian wax style splinter removal!