Violated?

[blackhawk]

I sand out and blend slight tear outs on nearly every osage bow I build. Who wants one?

Not me..i already got two of those junkers      there both still in one piece tho

[DuBois]

I sand out and blend slight tear outs on nearly every osage bow I build. Who wants one?

Hell yes man, I'll pay for shipping! 

[George Tsoukalas]

One can see a completely cut through ring. That's not a problem even for my old eyes.

But my question was how can he/she see a ring that is halfway through especially when working a wood  like osage with really irregular rings that vary in thickness within the same ring in many cases?

Just wondering.

I get to early wood and use a scraper and am happy if I don't cut through. If i do, I go down to the next ring.

Some osage staves have pretty thin rings.
Jawge

[DuBois]

Hi George,
Yes it would be kinda hard to tell most of the time I guess. I paid close attention as I worked it to a ring and tried to leave the early growth crust in any dips or concavities. It actually took me a while to be sure I had gone a bit deep and after a little closer scrutiny it sure looks like it is a little thin along a spot on the edge. But just a tiny bit thinner at a place where, of all things, there was no dip or character at all 
I had wondered this a lot of times but never took the time to ask before. I sure do appreciate the discussion and opinions here. Thanks guys.

[mikekeswick]

No it's simple!
Instead of aiming for the actual ring you are going to use as the back, aim for the layer of earlywood above it. I try to chase the earlywood ring and once this ichased you can then go slowly with a razor sharp scraper and remove JUST the earlywood. Never try to get it all in one go and don't be greedy with your tool strokes. As the earlywood is removed you have a prstine back.
As I said earlier I always try to aim for perfection when making bows.....it rarely happens but that's what i'm aiming for. It would be an anathema  for me to have the mindset of oh it doesn't matter if I take a gouge out i'll just blend it in. One day that attitude will bite you somewhere 

[Del the cat]

No it's simple!
Instead of aiming for the actual ring you are going to use as the back, aim for the layer of earlywood above it. I try to chase the earlywood ring and once this ichased you can then go slowly with a razor sharp scraper and remove JUST the earlywood. Never try to get it all in one go and don't be greedy with your tool strokes. As the earlywood is removed you have a prstine back.
As I said earlier I always try to aim for perfection when making bows.....it rarely happens but that's what i'm aiming for. It would be an anathema  for me to have the mindset of oh it doesn't matter if I take a gouge out i'll just blend it in. One day that attitude will bite you somewhere 

Have a "Like" 

Del

[George Tsoukalas]

That would work, mikeswick, though I prefer to clean it up as I go along.
That way I can see the completed ring and follow it around knots, etc.
It is hard for me to identify a bunch of late wood as the ring I want.
Very interesting discussion.
Fun seeing and hearing how others make'em.
Jawge

[Pappy]

I am with Jawges, clean as I go leaving the knots valleys and such for last, I also go for perfection on the backs ring Mike but rarely ever happens I feel pretty sure , I have seen no ill effect from it either and have made a few bows.
 Pappy

[Marc St Louis]

As clean as possible is always best but as they say S*** happens and when it does it is nice to know that it's not the end of the world

[PEARL DRUMS]

Marc and Mark are just lucky. Keep up with your bad habits guys and you'll see one of these days.

[Badger]

  Some of the Hop Hornbeam and Hickory I have worked will have fissures all over the limb too narrow to get a scraper in. I used to leave the cambium in them but now I just level off the back if I have decent thickness to the rings, never experienced any problems doing that. Osage I go for perfection, as said above I try to avoid taking off any molecules,, doesn't always happen but I try.