load of fence post

[Pat B]

Looking good Randy.
 Brad I keep spray shellac on my work bench and spray any newly exposed new wood, backs and ends. I've had very old, well seasoned staves check once new wood was exposed.

[bradsmith2010]

thats a great idea,, do you just sand it off if you want to back it,,

[Pat B]

Yep, just sand it off or wipe it off with denatured alcohol. Any finish will go over shellac so it doesn't have to be removed for that.

[RandyN]

Hey Guys. Sorry for the long delay on posting. My wife and I had a good trip to Mayo in AZ. Now back and working on the stave.

I have to confess, I have been cheating on the osage stave with a Juniper stave. I cut this stave from a branch in my yard while doing some trimming. I will leave this for another post but here are a couple pictures to give you an idea of what is happening with it.

[RandyN]

Now back to the osage stave. I started this project with no expectations, bow style, bow weight, etc. I would let the wood tell me what it wants to become. Well that continues to change as time goes along and the wood comes off. First, this thing is not budging at all. Not even close to starting to floor tiller. But the wood on the belly side continues to change grain direction. Between the 2 knots on opposite sides of the stave, the grain changes direction a couple different times. This is causing grain tear and I am getting nervous due to the narrow width in this area. So instead of stressing about it, I put the draw knife away and will work it with the rasp.
Here's what the area looks like.

[RandyN]

Couple more pics of the back of the bow in this area.

[RandyN]

Then on the other limb I find a bore hole. It is in the center of the limb so it should not be a problem. But it does fall in the are of a small grain change and a slight jog in the limb. I did not take a pic of the belly but I think you can get an idea of what is happening.

I need to share that I work a lot slower on my bow building than most guys. I take my time and try to think through the problem areas rather than just charging ahead and making a mistake. Doing it this way helps me learn.

[BowEd]

I'm really sorry to say this but that bore hole is a problem.Checks lengthwise are ok not making the edge of limb but a hole like that is a game changer.The ring is violated with that hole.

[Eric Krewson]

You could fill it with superglue and sawdust and hope for the best.

[Hawkdancer]

Do you mix the superglue and sawdust like a putty, or pack the hole with Sawdust,  then saturate with the superglue?  I found a hole in a hickory stave that may or may not be a problem when I work the stave into a bow.  Might as well fix it now!  Thanks
Hawkdancer

[Morgan]

If you do the superglue sawdust thing, good item to do it outside. Some folks are quite sensitive to the fumes it puts off, I am one of them. Some folks don’t notice that there are any fumes. If I fool with more than a couple drops of ca glue inside, It irritates my eyes and airway badly and I end up with a respiratory infection.

[RandyN]

Hawkdancer,,,I usually fill the hole with fine saw dust from the wood I am working with and pack it in. Then I use a very thin superglue. I have been using Loctite 420. It works extremely well.

Eric,,,the superglue is definitely an option. I thought about it as soon as I saw the hole. It is small and since the limbs are not starting to bend, I am going to take it down a little further and see what happens.

Thanks guys for all the positive feedback on my project. I am not sure what the final decision, fill or not fill, will be just yet. When Brad and I talked about doing this, I usually don't post my projects, I wanted to do this from the stand point of a new bowyer that does not have a lot of money to spend on staves that are perfect. I should be able to get a bow out of this stave and I will be sharing all the problems I come across as we go along. There are plenty of good posts on here where individuals can learn the proper technique to make a bow from a clean stave. But I have not seen too many posts that go through the process of making a bow from what some would consider a scrape piece of wood. I want to encourage guys to try bow building even if the bow doesn't come out pretty, or a great shooter. I learn something from every bow I make. To me, not trying means your not willing to fail.

So here we go. Marching forward determine to get a bow that shoots.

[RandyN]

Just looked at my pics. I might have some of you confused. These are pics of knot holes in the stave. There is plenty of wood around these. I don't think they will be a problem.

[RandyN]

Here is the pic of the bore hole. Really small and in the center of the limb. It does go all the way through the limb at an angle. That is why I am considering filling it. It's hard to see.

[bradsmith2010]

to late to turn back,,keep going and see what she does,,