I can relate. A few weeks back I posted some pics of some tight-ringed osage staves--the best I could figure 29-31 rings per inch. Earlier this week I wasted two mornings trying to chase rings, and ended up with one good billet. Finally went back to a new billet and CAREFULLY scraped off the bark and sapwood, and am now using first ring as the back. Its a whole lot easier than chasing a thin, uneven ring.