My first osage stave! ... It is finished!!...

[Echatham]

just got my first piece of osage i ever laid hands on today. I think its a pretty good stave, rings look good, its 7 feet long by about 3-4" wide on average, and 3-4" thick. several pin knots, and only one big knot... but its kinda conveniently located the way im envisioning a bow layout. its got a little snakiness, and moderate character, but im thinking its probably not too challenging for a first timer... after all, im gonna have good teachers...right Roy?! anyway im hoping to get started on it this weekend, I will make another slow and long build along out of it i guess if there are no objections. my first question would be, is it adviseable to work the entire stave down to a ring before even thinking about a layout.... or should i start removing some wood... towards a rough bow shape, then chase a ring? second question: the guy that sold me the stave (actually he pretty much gave it to me, when i saw the shipping cost, he didn't make much! im gonna make it up to him though) took moisture readings at several places on the sides and belly of the stave, readings as low as 10% and as high as 16%.  the back and ends are currently sealed with log wax.  how do you guys recommend i dry and care for this stave? it has been drying for several years, and is a sister stave to the guy's own favorite bow.

               

               

               

               

[Zradix]

Glad it came in for you.

I haven't seen a stave with that type of grain before..both sides kinda dip to the middle.
Maybe that's a good thing....I've never touched one either...lol

I'm curious what will be recommended.

Good luck with it.

[JEFF B]

if thats a Beer on the table ya aint going do to much on the stave LOL!!!!      

[Echatham]

Jeff B i was just pondering it at the time lol!

[John Scifres]

I've gotten a whole heck of a lot of work done with a beer on my bench.

Staves with a concave back like that can be tricky to chase a ring.  It looks pretty bumpy and well seasoned so lots of patience, good lighting, and scraper work are in order.

[okie64]

I usually take mine down to one ring and then lay out the front profile just in case theres any hidden problems that might show up on the edge of one of the limbs. The earlywood is thick enough on that stave that ring chasing should be fairly easy although like John said its gonna be a little tricky with those concave rings. I would drawknife the edges and then work the middle down with a gooseneck scraper. If you have trouble staying on the same ring clean up the sides of the stave and mark your ring all the way down the side of the stave with a sharpie.

[Echatham]

yeah i was figuring on using the scrapers alot... i do have a gooseneck. because of the thickness of the stave, and number of good rings, i should have several tries at getting a good back ring. im going to work down the first ring that will run the whole length of the stave... for practice if nothing else. and i guess i will see where i stand after that.

[Zradix]

GOOD LUCK MAN!

Doing that kind of work is something I'd really have to mellow out for.

Just relax, drink a beer, a take it easy kind of work.

[Zradix]

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YA STAVE GUYS...

Normally the growth rings dictate the back of the bow is from the outermost of the stave.

This particular stave is different.
He could make a bow with the back being from the inner part of the tree with the belly from an outer part...
..I hope I'm explaining this well enough.
Is there anything bad about making it the "opposite" way?

[Roy from Pa]

I'm not a stave expert, Eric:) But by all means ya gotta have beer:)

[John Scifres]

You can make a backwards bow.  It's not quite as intuitive though.  Also, the concave portion is likely only going to be in certain areas and other areas will be more typical.  It's a bumpy stave with a wild back.

[Zradix]

That makes sense John.
Didn't think of that.

[takefive]

I don't know anything about staves, just that osage is beautiful wood.  Bet you're gonna like it Eric.  Good luck!

[Draffish]

Good luck Eric looking forward to another 30page plus build from you enjoyed the last one immensely gave me the kick I needed to start looking for wood for my own bow this one I'm sure will blow it out the water     thanks in advance for doing another build along

[Echatham]

Draffish I ain't doing this for "you guys". Im just trying to get as much help as i can!            Nah it's awesome if it helps anyone even a wee bit.  in my "dreaming and reading" phase of bow building, i would get frustrated at all the skipped steps in build alongs... as someone with no woodworking background, there were always tools and processes i just needed to see to understand. i tried to put the entire process out there as i learned it.  I will try to do the same with this one. im about to either go get to scraping, or at least get the workshop cleaned up and ready to go for the weekend.

[Echatham]

well i started scraping on one end. enough to get me thinkin that if i dont reduce the size of this stave to something aproaching rough bow dimensions im gonna go nuts!  so i started thinking about a layout. i got this knot about mid stave.... and ifs over 7 feet long so i have alot of leeway as to where its going to end up in the bow. but i think that if i follow the grain around it.... and put it at the arrow pass.... its going to bring me damn near centershot. of course i will be locked in to a top and bottom limb if i do it that way. what you guys think?

 

[Zradix]

cool theory.

[Echatham]

well.... after 3 beers and 3 hours... and all my CCR albums.... i have exposed about 2 or 3 square inches of the desired growth ring with a cabinet scraper set. if there is a better way to chase this ring than a cabinet scraper... fill me in!  i have anywhere from 1 ring, to 3 rings and sapwood above the ring im chasing. and its all full of dips and wiggles.  not complaining... its oddly soothing to slowly shave down to a growth ring.... but... I ain't retired like ole Roy, and this is going to take a loooooong time at this rate, and doing it around work and school and family.
 
 

[vanillabear?]

[WestTexan]

You can eat through rings in a flash with a draw knife but sure gotta watch the lower rings. I may do it all wrong but for me I get under a ring and peel it off working towards me with the draw knife flipped bevel side down with a 45 or even higher angle to the wood so I can control the amount of wood I'm shaving off.