Back it or saw it?

[Steve Milbocker]

I have been working on laying in a supply of bow wood. I have some osage with some mighty tight growth rings. Would I be better off backing these staves with raw hide or something or sawing them into board staves where they could be laminated with hickory,bamboo or some other appropriate wood?

[George Tsoukalas]

If you can chase the ring you don't have to do anything else. Jawge

[Steve Milbocker]

Most of them are too thin to chase George,at least for me.

[Pat B]

I have backed thin ringed osage with rawhide with good results. I like thin ringed osage as it make a very good bow. Chase a back ring as good as possible and back it with rawhide.

[Steve Milbocker]

Thanks Pat, sounds good to me. I wasn't sure how I was going to get it milled anyway!

[George Tsoukalas]

What Pat said. Use a scraper to get to the ring you want after going to the ring above it. If you come through with a violation try  again. If you get no violations you n't ned a backing. If less than 1/16 leave it could be tough. Leave it a little  wider. Jawge

[gstoneberg]

I agree with the guys.  I just went to a sawmill to try and get some quartersawn osage.  We cut through 2 trees and the center cut  was bad on each tree.  It is hard to get a good piece of quartersawn osage.  Odds are you'll just get rift sawn boards.  You'll get many more bows from your wood doing as Jawge and Pat have recommended.

George

[Steve Milbocker]

Thank you gentleman.