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Author Topic: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !  (Read 2356 times)

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Offline seminolewind

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Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« on: April 20, 2014, 02:24:23 pm »
This stave has been curing for about a year now indoors. Its a 70" Osage stave with pretty tight growth rings. Do you guys think that it has had sufficient time to cure? Also are close rings more or less desirable than larger rings ? I should have a ring chased in the next day or so then I might reach out and get some advice on laying it out.

Thanks guys !
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Elijah,
Tampa, FL.

Offline Fred Arnold

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2014, 02:36:13 pm »
Looks like a nice one. Rings look medium and good to me. I'd go down to the 5th ring.
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2014, 02:40:32 pm »
The rings look great!  Thin thick, there all good, especially when you have that little early growth between them.
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Offline H Rhodes

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2014, 02:40:42 pm »
Rings look good to me.  I used to hate chasing rings on osage until I moved my bench outside into the full sunlight.  Osage loves sunshine.  The early wood/late wood is so much more visible in natural light.    I find it a little easier to lay my osage bows out by marking a center line following the grain on the sapwood first.  I draw the bow on the sapwood first, mostly because it is easier to see what I am doing because of the contrast, but also so I am not chasing rings on a wide piece of wood that I am going to trim away anyway.   Good luck with your bow.
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Howard
Gautier, Mississippi

Offline adb

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2014, 02:49:57 pm »
Nice stave! Depending on the RH where your stave has been curing will determine it's readiness. A year should be sufficient.
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Offline Badly Bent

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2014, 02:52:53 pm »
Looks like a real good candidate to me Seminole, go for it. One year indoors probably fine but I'd reduce it down and work on it for a few weeks at its reduced state before bending any just to make sure its dry but thats just me. Keep
it somewhere dry and warm in between working it would be a good idea also. Ring ratio looks fine and I've always had
my better osage bows come from tighter ring staves for whatever reason. Looks like a pretty clean and straight stave you have there, should be a nice one. Put up some pics at different stages  of the build for our viewing, you know we like these these kinda post. :)
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Offline adb

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2014, 02:58:57 pm »
Just looking at your stave again... man, that's a nice piece of wood! The rings are just the right thickness and they're not too tight. That is going to make a top shelf bow!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2014, 03:18:16 pm »
Elijah, like the others said that is a very nice stave. I think the rings are almost perfect. I'd reduce it to floor tiller stage and see how it feels. A few weeks at floor tiller should release most of any remaining moistur.
  I'd go down to the 2nd heartwood ring. It is plenty good enough for a back ring. Be sure to seal the back as soon as you expose it. I like Bullseye spray shellac for this and keep a can on my bench all the time.
  I'm assuming you are home. WELCOME HOME and THANKS for your service
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Offline bubby

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2014, 06:12:59 pm »
heck if he builds this bow like he flintknaps it will prolly win bom :laugh:
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Offline seminolewind

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2014, 10:41:09 pm »
thanks yall, ok ill reduce it and see where were at then consult yall ! Im determined to make a great bow this year !
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"Those that beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who do not." Thomas Jefferson

Elijah,
Tampa, FL.

Offline Pappy

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2014, 07:04:07 am »
Looks prefect to me,take your time and it will be hard to mess that one up. ;) :)Welcome home. :)
  Pappy
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blackhawk

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Re: Hopefully this will make my first reliable bow !
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2014, 08:24:26 am »
Good thing your starting with the right kind of wood!!!!  8)
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