Following grain of wood?

[Balsatech]

I am having a hard time with a particular piece of Osage. Semi-snakey and a few knots. One side of stave has more grain swirl than the other and I'm having a hard time following the grain to get my limb profile. 54" long roughly going to be around 1.5" wide. My final back ring is just under the one I have got showing. Has anyone ever used a light stain to help show how the grain flows?   Joe.

[Danzn Bar]

I think Will H and Pappy has used some charcoal dust or something like that to enhance the gain.....they might chime in and tell the real story.....
DBar 

[Balsatech]

DBar, charcoal might be the thing to try first instead of the stain. Not a great piece of wood, but it's one of the only few I have that is dry right now.  I think I can get a nice little bendy handle out of it if can control grain runout.  Thanks Joe.

[Chief RID]

I am very interested Joe. Did you forget to post the pic?

[Balsatech]

Chief, did not forget to post pics, just don't know how yet. I do need to get someone to show me how, it would probably help. Joe.

[Chief RID]

Hi Joe,

I think there is a minimum entry # before you are able too.

[George Tsoukalas]

Are you having a hard time chasing a ring?

After you do that then you mark out a line following the lateral grain that runs tip to tip. It will go left and right with the snakey grain.

My site ha some info on chasing a ring and bow layout.

http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html

Ring chasing.
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/osage.html

Jawge

[alwayslookin]

I don't think there is a minimum post before you can post pictures. I posted some as soon as I joined. The photos just have to be resized. I believe you can do it on paint or a photo editor. If you are doing it on a phone I downloaded a app that is called picture resizer  works great. Hope this helps.

[bubby]

There is a sticky on the how to page for posting pics with a phone or you can use the free photobucket, they have a phone app too

[Springbuck]

  If you are still a whole ring above the one you want, dampen the wood with a wet rag, just a swipe.  This wiill raise grain.  Then a quick, even pass with a propane torch will show you what you want to see.  Otherwise use charcoal, rub it in good and then wipe off the excess with a damp cloth.   I think I learned that from Pappy, too.  Or a version of it.

[Balsatech]

Thanks for help guys. I used the charcoal and it helped.Got  it down to final ring other than scraping around some knots and got it to floor tiller today. I'm going to try to figure out this picture thing tomorrow. Again thanks for all the tips I can see them all coming in handy at some time or another. Joe.