How to work around knots... Learning/how-to

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Can someone do me a favor? Can You do a pic/how to on working a ring around knots. I looked for one but didn't fine anything.

I did learn on the sapling stave I have that you can't just go in one direction. I do need more work on this so the small stave I have is to learn to chase one ring and do knot work.

I know this will also help other newbies to stave/sapling ring & knot work out.

Thanx

I'm turning this in to a learning for me How to... Any & all Help is Welcome.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Here is the stave I'm learning on.

This is the top part of the sapling
 
the lower end. You can see in the pic the other part of the sapling/tree. I still need to split it.
 
You can tell in the pic's this has a high crown. I'm still going to try and get a bow out of it, But it's more to learn on.

Here is the the crown side of the stave.
 
 
 

Here is the bellie side of the same stave
 
 

[Pat B]

With knots on the back you want to leave an island of wood around them until you have a good ring for your back. Then with a scraper work from the center of the knot out in all directions to remove the island. On the belly you want to keep it flat around the knots. Using a rasp works best instead of a draw knife that can rip out wood rather than reducing it.
  You may find using a scraper to chase a ring on the green sassafras works better with less damage than with the draw knife.      Pat

[**DONOTDELETE**]

So for the bellie side just use a rasp to take off the wood. I was thinking I could do that, but wasn't for sure.

Thanx Pat

[Pat B]

On clear wood a draw knife works well but when knots are involved a rasp is your best bet on the belly.    Pat

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'm learning.

[michiganbowguy]

yup, what pat said.

jamie

[Cody Cantrell]

Erik Krewson posted a how to on building pin knot scrapers.  They work fantastic for working around knots, he may post his buildalong if he reads this. As I think its been removed from the how to.

[TroyH]

While I don't have a build along, the last bow I did had lots of various size knots in it.  The belly isn't your problem, the back is, assuming you are talking Osage.  I take off the white sap wood and try to get it down to within a ring of the one I will chase, but I don't cut too much off right around the knot.  So you will initially end up with your bow taken down to near the final ring but with knot islands with lots of excess wood left on.  When you can see your ring, then you can start scraping it off the knot.  It can be tedious, and you will have to scrape in many directions.  Just be careful.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Not Osage. that sapling is Sassafras. When taking off the outer bark I went to deep, That is why I was trying to get down to one ring.

No work today since it is raining, cold & windy.

[Roy Steele]

Leave as much woood around it as you can.No one can really tell you how to do it in words.All knots are differeny It's one of those things you just have jump in there and do it.

  Don't be scared wood is wood.