Osage selfbow question

[Roconman]

I have never heard this question asked so I am going to ask it.I have a pristine osage stave,no knots or pins, super straight grain,big thick rings.I carefully removed the bark when the stave was green and the back is perfectly slick and smooth.Is it nessary chase a ring on this stave? Is it possible to treat Osage as you would a white wood? I dont mind doing it but it looks so good,I'm thinking,is this really nessary? thanks, Dan

[Pat B]

You can build an osage bow with the sapwood but you will build a better bow using the first good ring of heartwood.

[Roconman]

Pat,I'm sorry I did not explain better.I removed the bark and the thick layer of sap wood and I am down to yellow wood which I assume is the first ring.It is slightly thinner than the one under it but it looks real good. I appreciate the help ,this is my first try with Osage.

[bigcountry]

On a stave if I see a better ring under another, I will chase it.  If that ring looks nice and thick and straight, I say start your layout.  But I don't know much.  I sure know how to break em.

[Pat B]

I stop at the first good ring I come to. The condition of the surface of that ring is more important than the ring thickness.IMO    
  Because I have never had osage readily available to me I use any I can get my hands on. They don't make bad osage. I use osage with 40 rings to the inch or 4 rings to the inch. If I am doubtful of the bows back I will either chase another ring but sometimes when feeling lazy I'll just back the bow with rawhide if the violations aren't too bad.
   I have chased lots of rings over the years. It can be enjoyable, mindless work but it is still work. I would rather concentrate on getting that first good ring as my back so I can get on with bow building.

[sulphur]

i agree with pat.  It would probably be worth you time to chase a ring just for the experience.  however, as long as the ring your on is not violated you should be ok.  That being said, here is a crazy theory i have.  I always go past the first ring because i believe the ones below it have had more time to harden and densify (i know thats not a word).  as a sap wood ring gets older it turns gold like the rest. the longer its had to cook the better. just a theory. no evidence to back it up.

[Pat B]

I agree with you sulphur.  When I cut whitewood I do it early in the growing season before the new ring grows. That way when I peel the bark off I have a mature ring as my bows back. If I were to wait until later in the summer, even though the bark still peels off the ring under it is this years immature growth.
   At least with osage, it is still stronger than most other woods. I still say if you have a good clean ring on the back, why chase another ring.

[shamus]

I'd still shellac the back of the stave if it's green, or it will check. That light yellow wood you see may be earlywood or a ring. Not sure.  

I would personally work it down to one good growth ring. It's not too hard. thoughts of mine on that:    http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/05/chasing-growth-rings.html  

hope that helps..

[Pat B]

I shellac the back and ends of every stave I take the bark off of...whether I need to or not.

[Roy Steele]

First off if the wood is green I leave the bark and sap wood on untill it's dry.I like to leave it season this way.No matter how long it takes.
   By taking these off you need to seal the ends and back right away.
    If the first ring under the sap wood isn't damaged.This should be the back of your bow.And also your best ring I think even if it's not the thickest ring in your stave.Sorry I disagree with SULPHUR I think that the best back ring is the ring under the sap wood.
    But he could be right. I just know if he is I've built a lot of bows wrong.Each his owb.