Osage ring questions. UPDATE we/ new question in OP

[Eric Krewson]

You are over thinking this stuff, depth and ring count don't mean much. Like was said, look at the stave in the evening light outside to see if a ring was violated. You have plenty more to chase if you need to. 

[Ross.m.]

The only reason I was worried was because I read it in the Osage flatbow section of the bowyers bible, but I guess that it isn't as important as the book makes it seem.

[Pat B]

A continuous, clean back ring is the strength and durability of the bow. 

[Eric Krewson]

If you don't already have it, buy Dean's book "Hunting the Osage Bow", no misinformation,  just the facts. Lots of opinions in the TBB series, some wander away from actual facts.

[Pappy]

If you don't already have it, buy Dean's book "Hunting the Osage Bow", no misinformation,  just the facts     
Like has been said don't worry about ring count or even thickness,root end is always thicker,just locate a good ring and
follow,slow and easy if this is your first time chasing with good light,if you loose site of where you are before moving on stop and look from side to side or change the angle you are looking until you fine where you are at and move on.
   Pappy

[Poggins]

It may have one clean ring on the back and cut through two rings on the belly , as long as you have one clean unvialated ring on the back you shoul be fine .

[Ross.m.]

Update, question in original post.

[Fred Arnold]

Well I would say you should have left it alone but seems you need the experience and mistakes will be your best teacher. Bright sunlight can be your worst enemy. You need the sun coming in at an angle so look at the stave from different directions and don't hog wood off until you are sure. If you look at the side of the stave you should be able to see the top ring the entire length.

[SLIMBOB]

With your drawknife, scrape slowly and carefully until you hit the early growth setting right on top of the ring you want.  The early growth has a different feel and texture to it than late wood.  Kind of a "Cheese Puff" baked to a crackly crisp feel.  Some have described it as corn flakes like material.  It is noticeably different.  Then just shave it off like you would shave the hair on your arm with a pocket knife.  Lite pressure so that you expose the Late wood beneath it without cutting into it.  Start on one end and work to the other.  Slow and easy.  Good lighting as mentioned can make the job so much easier.  Not just bright light, but the angle of the light is key.  Move the stave around in the light and observe the change as you go.  You will find the right angle.

[Ross.m.]

Thanks, slimbob. When I look at the back that was worked down to one ring, then I see some of the rougher, grainy texture you were talking about. If I take off those few spots, will I be safe making that the back of my bow?

[SLIMBOB]

If it were me, and someone else chased the ring and suggested that I do likewise, I probably would.  If however it appears as though you have a good clean ring, with no violations where it has been cut into the next ring, you should be good.  Shave the early growth off with very lite pressure on your drawknife, or just lightly sand off the early wood spots.  I do both.  Drawknife it until it is pretty clean and then sand the back spotlessly clean from there.

[bradsmith2010]

could we see a picture,,,??

[Fred Arnold]

Ross the picture you showed of the back, just flip it so you can see the side. You should be able to see that top ring the entire length.  it should look like one solid line. Check both sides.

[Poggins]

I am working on a snaky stave and it is tight ringed , one limb is chased to a single ring but the other is giving me fits , using a scraper only and still violated rings twice ( maybe a third time also , got frustrated and put it down last night ) , I don't have the thickness on the first limb to go down any more so I'm stoping in the middle of the handle and going to senew wrap it under a leather grip , basically it will drop two or three rings in the handle .

[Pat B]

Poggins, put a rawhide backing on it as it is now. That's what I do with thin ringed osage if I can't chase a back ring cleanly.