Osage advice

[backgardenbowyer]

I've just got hold of my first osage stave (its like looking for rocking horse manure here in the UK..) and could do with some advice from all you experience osage bowyers.  There are a couple of small knots and pins which I can deal with, but the growth rings are pretty tight with a fair amount of early growth.  The obvious growth ring to use for the back is only 1/16th" thick - will this be good enough if I scrape down to it carefully or do I have to cut my losses, plane it flat and stick a bamboo backing on.  Trouble is I can get ipe to back with boo easily and cheaply and I really want this one to be a self bow with just the wood the wood and nothing but the wood.

Rather blurry pick attached - this is the thinner end of the stave about 1.5" where the growth rings are tightest, its marginally better at the other end.

Thoughts, advice, opinions?

Thanks

Stan

[attachment deleted by admin]

[gutpile]

if you come down 7 latewood rings including the top back now you got a better ratio there...should be fine..that is some thick earlywood...and lots of it...the ratio is too far skewed IMO near the top of the stave and the bottom.....7 rings down including the one that is almost non existant being sandwiched between the two fat earlywoods....gut

[Pat B]

Stan, I would go with the ring at the top of the stave and if you are concerned about it being too thin or the knots and pins, add a rawhide backing over it. I like thin ringed osage and I do as I mentioned when it is warranted. I have made flat bows, recurves and ELB style bows with thin ringed osage. All were backed with rawhide and none have given problems.   Pat

[Ryano]

That looks like a fine stick of osage to me.  I'd shoot for the first ring down.

[Timo]

I gotta side with Pat and Ryan on this one. Specially with pin knots,usually the farther down you go the more you uncover.

[Pappy]

I would probably go with the first ring also,I don't like the ratio but if you don't try and make it to heavy or your draw is really long it should be fine.I might would make it just a little wider and a little longer that normal. Good luck and keep us updated.
   Pappy

[backgardenbowyer]

Thanks for your advice!  With rings so thn (and no draw knife) I'm just going to have to scrape the whole thing down very carefully.  There is actually another ring above that one - but I'd already scraped a bit at the end to see how difficult it would be to spot the difference between early and late wood.  It may not be good osage but it still has to be better than some of the very light soft local ash I've used before - the early wood growth on that is life balsa.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Stan

[GregB]

Don't know if you have them in your area, but I've found drawknifes at what we call flea-markets, maybe pawn shop's, etc. Good chance you could get a new one at a farmers coop...

[DanaM]

E-bay for draw knives the old ones are good steel, I got 3 for $25

[bobnewboy]

Hi Stan,

Looks like that mystery order came through ok.  If you need a drawknife, I've got a big curved Gransfors one you could borrow if you like.  I'm not using it much at the moment.

//Bob

[backgardenbowyer]

Thanks again for the offers of help.  I've scraped down to the first good ring using my favourite tool - a 12" steel ruler, makes a good scraper as you can get two hands on it and bend it to shape.

Also roughed the shape out using a bandsaw for the first time and inevitably took a bit too much off in one place but it will be OK.

Pappy - I draw about 27" and am aiming for 48-50lbs with up to 68" nokc ot nock and a maximum width of 2" - I'd have thought this wasn't too much to ask of this piece of wood.

Stan

[DanaM]

@" is a lot of width for osage and at 68" I think for a 50# bow your going to get the limnbs to thin.
1.5" wide would be a better starting place, I'm working on one right now that is barely 1.25"