Ring Chasing?

[Rick James]

I have been chasing a ring on a piece of osage and when i got to the one I wanted which was about three rings down from the early wood I end up having these islands or dark spots under some of the early wood--Is this part of the early wood--it seems to be just as hard as the lighter looking late wood next to it? I don't know if I need to keep on scraping or go to the next ring down or leave it alone???

   

   

   

the area in between the knots in the last pic is pretty clean...just one dark spot above and left of the centered knot-
it just seems like i'm having to take alot of shavings to get any of the dark areas to clear up---any advice would be appreciated!
Rick

[Steve B.]

Not sure.  I'd like to see an end pic.  I would get that stuff off there unless you have to go really deep to the next ring, in which case I would scrape that stuff off anyway and sinew back it.  If you do go deep that knot might not have the support it needs around it so keep that in mind.  Stay wide at that knot.

[Rick James]

 

The ends are burnt from my less than adequate bandsaw blade--the ring i am on is 1/8" to 3/16" and in a couple places might get a little less than 1/8" close to the knots--the area in the center and out to the end without the knots is a good 3/16"
Rick

[Blkbird]

[Steve B.]

Oh ok.  I assumed the stave was triangular shape so the deeper you go the more narrow.  You are ok.  The rings look good to me, thick, and flat.
So if that blotchiness is sapwood-related then, yes, just scrape it off.  Get down to brown wood.  The ring is thick so you don't have to worry about going too deep.  Just use a scraper and not a draw knife.
Is there enough wood for a handle or do you plan to glue one on?

[Rick James]

OK, I'll try to clear this up a little with some more pics--it appears to me that the late wood in this stave just has darker and lighter areas--I tried to scrape the darker stuff off which is lying just below the early wood in the handle area(Yes, I do have enough for a handle-probably 3 inches) and ultimately went thru the ring into the next ring--as you can see in the pics the punky/crunchy early wood is closer to my 2X6 vise jaws and then the late wood shows in two different shades closer to the camera--this is the next ring down from the earlier pics. I know that the first pics look like alot of islands of early wood and late wood from a gazillion ring violations but I assure you that is not the case--it seems like I can scrape enough in some areas to get to lighter colored yellow wood but in some places the darker stuff goes deep into the late wood ring and I can't get thru it without going all the way thru--anyybody seen this kind of marbled look in Osage before???

I edited my first post where I asked if this was Sapwood--I meant to say Early Wood.

thanks Rick

   

   

   

[Steve B.]

I see what you mean.  Until others chime in I'll just say that this could be a good thing.  I would treat it as normal and proceed to make my bow, assuming one of two things, it is either going to be a cool marbled looking bow and everyone is going to want it or its some weird inherent flaw and going to explode into a million pieces when I least expect it.  But I would still build it.

[Rick James]

Up for the Sunday Crowd--anybody else ever seen Osage with this look before??

[Art B]

Have you cleaned up the sides to where you can get a stacked view of the rings? This discoloration in one or more rings?

Osage is certainly a different animal so personally I wouldn't give this a second thought and proceed with the bow......Art

[razorback]

I would continue making the bow. You have a ring chased, so now start tillering and see what it does. Worst thing is it break. We all break bows and that would be a good learning experience for all of us. On the other hand it will look great when finished.

[Rick James]

This is the second ring I have chased on this stave and it was the same way in the ring above this one--those pics are in my first post. I have cleaned up the sides a little and the discoloration is not evident from a side view. I do intend on continuing--we'll see what happens.

[Rick James]

I posted these over on another site and thought I would put them here too:

The Culprit

 

Side view of one end

 

Both ends--these are both 1&1/4 inches top to bottom

 
 

thanks again guys
Rick

[Art B]

You know something Rick, your wood looks more like mulberry than Osage.

[Living_waters]

Originally posted by Art B:
You know something Rick, your wood looks more like mulberry than Osage.

That is what the back looks like to me, the ridges and valley's on mulberry leaves the dark patches. it is thin ringed for most mulberry but still looks like it.

[Living_waters]

Add about 15% to your favorite osage design and build it. My personal preference is mulberry for a wood I have to chase a ring on. Other than I have made some wonderful shooting bows from it is the only thing I can think of that gives me this opinion of it.I am working on 2 at this moment, trade bow and one for me (see how long that last) and both of them have the same pattern.