Osage Eastern Woodland D Bow Buildalong (Please Be Patient-This'll take A While)

[WoodBenderDW]

Hey Folks,
After making a few board bows and shooting a few different styles of bows I've decided to take the plunge and make an Eastern Woodland style D bow out of an osage stave.  Since it doesn't grow much in Ontario Canada, I ordered a stave from Pine Hollow Longbows.  I'm looking forward to working on this and I'm hoping this will become my main hunting and 3D bow.  I'm hoping to show all my progress on this since I know there is a lot of experience on here.  There will be a few questions to follow.

[WoodBenderDW]

Here are some more pictures.  Sorry the order got all messed up.

[WoodBenderDW]

Because it was shipped up here to Canada, they had to take most of the sapwood off before shipping it.  Picture three is of the back or where the back will be once I chase it down to the ring I'll use.  If you look at picture seven and eleven (the side views) you can see that I don't have a lot of room to work.  With that being said after looking at picture four, how many rings would most of you go down?  Are most of those top rings too thin or would you guys just go down two or three rings and make that the back?  By the way, it is 72" long and will be unbacked.  Also if you look at picures one and two, these are obvious pin knots and I'll have to leave them raised when establishing the back.  When you look at pictures five, six, nine and twelve (I hope this doesn't make me sound stupid) do those look like knots or is just old wood left on there?  Should I leave these spots raised or work through them when chasing rings?  I appreciate all the help from anyone willing to give it.  I'm excited about this project.

[soy]

I don't know how wide and deep it is... but man I go for the good Rings about halfway down, I'm sure there's going to be other opinions but that's what I would do... especially since It isgoing to be un backed...imho

[WoodBenderDW]

The stave is about 2" wide.  The parts at the side is just above 3/4" from top of the stave down where you can see that split and it's approximately the mid limb area.

[SLIMBOB]

I'm with Soy.  If it left me enough width and depth, I would go down to the first good wide ring.  But it's hard to tell from the picture if you got enough wood.  Might have to use one higher up.  Don't leave the pins raised.  Work them down to the same ring as the back.  The back should be one ring stem to stern.  The areas around the knots may rise up some above the surrounding wood, but it should be the same ring.

[lostarrow]

Good luck with the yellow stuff ,Dave. Look forward to seeing the progress.

[Pat B]

I'd say you have plenty of wood for what you want to build. Chase the back until you get to the first good ring then determine from there if you have to go deeper. I wouldn't worry about thin rings as long as you get a good back ring. Forget the thicker rings down deeper in the stave. Get to your first good, unviolated ring and go from there.

[Josh B]

You've got more room to maneuver than you think.  I concur with Pat's advice.  Use the first unviolated ring that you get chased.  It doesn't take much Osage to make a bow and it requires even less for an eastern woodlands d-bow.  If everything went just right, you have enough for two d-bows in that stave.  I'm not suggesting that you try that as it is best to not get greedy and risk ruining your stave.  But you will be surprised at how diminutive your bow will be when you get it whittled down to weight.  Good luck and I look forward to seeing the finished bow.  Josh

[WoodBenderDW]

Just a little progress update and a couple of questions.  I taken the sapwood and one ring of heartwood off of roughly half the stave.  I may still have to go down another couple of rings, I'll have to see.  If you look at pictures three and four, what does that look like?  Is it a weird kind grain violation?  Also if you look at pictures two and five, what are those brown spots?  Am I too close to the next ring or is it even anything to worry about?

[Dictionary]

What are your finished dimensions going to be? Weight, length, width?

[rps3]

Looks like you violated a ring on the 4th pic down.

[Weylin]

Looks like you violated a ring on the 4th pic down.

agreed

[lostarrow]

Looks like you might have to get down another 4 rings to get the violation out. Where is it on the stave?  Is that the one you could see  through the sapwood, that was already violated?

[WoodBenderDW]

Here is that same spot yet again.  I have taken it down two more rings.  I think I screwed up again.  What do you guys think?  See the spot in the middle of the knot?  Should I go down a couple more rings to fix that or am I worrying too much?