Osage Bow (that hopefully doesn't take 10 months)

[Marin]

Well , as I am adding poly to my board bow, I decided to begin roughing out a stage for a bendy handle osage bow. I've attached picture of the stage: about 63" in length,  4 inches X 3 inches in its cross section. I got it as a gift from my uncle in Virginia who knows another bowyer. He told me he got it over a year or two ago so it is probably well seasoned. I'm going to try to us the second ring from the top as the back.

[Marin]

And here I am beginning through out the bow with a hatchet. I am focusing right now on getting the width down before I focus of flattening what is to be the bottom of the stave. Then I will chase a ring.
Sorry if my hatchet work is cringe worthy. I'm not making is bow with only a hatchet, just going to use it to rough it out.

[Marin]

One last picture of my hatchet work. So I follow the grain, I'm making sure the band of heartwood and sapwood is staying constant in width down the entire length of the stave.

[BearNecessities]

I'm looking forward to seeing your finished bow.  I'm so new that I have barely been introduced to my first stave.  Want a race?  Kidding!

 
Annie

[H Rhodes]

Pretty good looking stick of osage.  I would only remove belly wood after you have your ring chased.  That way, if you run into trouble chasing the second ring, you can always pick one deeper without running out of wood thick enough to make a bow.  It is hard to say what you might run into once the ring chasing begins...

[bjrogg]

Pretty good looking stick of osage.  I would only remove belly wood after you have your ring chased.  That way, if you run into trouble chasing the second ring, you can always pick one deeper without running out of wood thick enough to make a bow.  It is hard to say what you might run into once the ring chasing begins...

good advice there Marin, especially since it still has Bark on. It's really hard to know what's under that bark, hopefully not bug damage. Also easy to violate a ring then have to chase a lower one. I'm certainly not a Osage expert have only roughed out 2 none finished but I think I'd start by chasing ring at very least rough it out wide and leaves belly.
Annie I know you are just joking about the racing, but you will soon find out. There really isn't any raceing building these bows. After you do several you will get faster, but probably at certain points take even more time. I love your enthusiasm though. I'm not trying to scold you, just hoping you realize your going to bring life back to a dead stick. To make it look like a bow can go fast, to give it a new, long life takes a little time and attention to detail. I very much look forward to seeing both of your bows.
Bjrogg

[Marin]

But to chase the ring, I was going to take off the sapwood with a hatchet and then rasp and scrape down to the ring, which requires me clamping down the stave. To do that, wouldn't I need to have a flattish belly? Or can I chase a ring (carefully) with a hatchet?

[gfugal]

Pretty good looking stick of osage.  I would only remove belly wood after you have your ring chased.  That way, if you run into trouble chasing the second ring, you can always pick one deeper without running out of wood thick enough to make a bow.  It is hard to say what you might run into once the ring chasing begins...

+ Ditto

[Marin]

But can I chase a ring entirely with a hatchet?

[Swamp Thang]

I couldn't nor would I try myself. Do you have a draw knife?

[Marin]

I don't have a draw knife (it was part of the reason I was using a hatchet). I was planning on debarking it with a hatchet, then relapsing down through the sapwood to the growth rings before scraping, but that would require flattening the belly first.
I'm just really asking if I can slightly flatten the belly so the log can be clamped down?
But anyways, I did some more work today, he entire stave is approximately 2.5 " in width (going to about 2" at one point). I am realizing that just using a regular store bought wood cutting hatchet is what is making this hard for me but for right now it'll do as I don't have a draw knife.

[bentstick54]

There is no way I could chase a ring with a hatchet. I have only chased rings on 15 or 20 Osage staves. I use the hatchet to debarked and take most, but usually not all of the sapwood off. Then switch over to a draw knife to chase which ever ring I am going for. I think it would be very hard not to violate a growth ring using a hatchet.

[DC]

Chasing a ring is not easy the first time. Go back and read every thread you can find about chasing rings. So far I tried it once and I quit just before I ruined the stave(billets in this case) Probably time I climbed back on the horse. Take all the advice offered and pay attention. That's a nice stave, don't mess it up. Find a draw knife. I don't think it has to be a real good one for chasing rings. There are also a lot of threads on here about finding drawknives. Maybe read them too.

[bentstick54]

I found several usable and 1 great vintage drawknives in some antique stores. The best one I gave $25 dollars because it was in too good of shape not to buy, and the booth owner was not there to haggle with, or probably could have got it for less.

[H Rhodes]

Chasing a ring is one of those things that requires practice.  Check out some YouTube videos and read what you can.  Then get a good drawknife.  Get a heavy bench vise or some other sturdy device for clamping your stave down so you can work on it.  I would practice on some scrap pieces first.  Ring chasing is a little tricky, but kind of enjoyable once you get a feel for it.