Growth rings

[Moe Shetty]

Does a billet with very thin growth rings make a better bow than one with thicker growth rings? I have a piece of Osage that's difficult to chase the ring, I hope it's worth it.

[Pat B]

I like thin ringed osage. Try your best to get a good, clean back ring if you can. If not add a rawhide backing.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I agree with Mr. Brennan. Tight ringed wood seems to be more resilient. You really notice that when you make a whitewood sapling bow(s).

[superdav95]

+2 for what they said.  It’s worth it it’s just more tricky to do. 

[Selfbowman]

Well I was on the same page as Pat for some years but have since changed my views. Thin ringed Osage will make a good bow. But as I have learned more about early wood . I’ve changed my thinking.
The early wood is weaker and I think it allows set to happen easier. But f you are chasing performance it matters. If not Osage is still the king. Arvin

[PEARL DRUMS]

Arvy, Is there a difference between 4 rings of early wood a 1/16" thick and 8 rings a 1/32 thick? It's still the same amount of early wood either way, right?

[organic_archer]

It’s all about the early to late wood ratio in my opinion. Thin ringed osage makes fine bows, provided it has a decent ratio. I always rawhide back them… not because they need them to stay together but because it gives a hard layer of protection to keep thin rings from taking a deep enough scratch/gouge while hunting to violate them.

[Del the cat]

I'm skeptical about the whole thing... maybe it makes a difference, but the variation in timber possibly makes it irrelevant.
I see it lkie having a sandwich... if you have two thick bits of bread with a nice thick slice of beef between is it any better than 3 thin slices of bread with 2 thin slices of beef?
Damn, why am I hungry now?
Del 

[George Tsoukalas]

I like my steak medium well and my rings medium. Jawge

[Selfbowman]

Pearl I think there is a lot happening in the early wood during the drawing of a bow. I think this is the sheer point for the wood. I also think that it may compress some too. I think that when there is no evidence of belly fractures set might be happening in the early ring. To your question about amount of rings I will say the ideal rings are  in my opinion is three 1/8” late rings and two early rings 1/16 or thinner early rings. This balances the sheer if it happens and gives you a even ratio. Also the rings would have same thickness thru out the bow. This is all my opinion and can’t prove any of it. Just common sense to me after lots of bows and info from this site. None Of this is important unless you are chasing speed. Bows with set are still good bows just not super bows. Finding those ideal ring staves is like looking for a needle in a hay stack though. Happy bow building to all.

[Muskyman]

Okay I have to ask the novice question here. When you say early wood to late wood ratio are you talking about the thickness of the early and late wood rings being the same?
I’ve seen people talking about this several times and just got to show my ignorance and ask.

[Selfbowman]

In my opinion! The more early wood you have . The less performance. Lets say that the late ring is 50 thousandths and early ring is 15 thousandths. That’s would be what I consider a great ratio.

[bentstick54]

Muskyman, here is an example of late wood (darker) to early wood ( lighter). The deeper in this stave you go, the better the ratio. The darker late wood is thicker than the lighter early wood. For the style of bows, and the general purpose for which I use them, I would chase down to the 1st late wood ring I could get to without violating it. I do not glue on handles, so that limits how deep into the stave I can go. My bows have all come in between 165 to 170 fps with 9gpp arrows, have taken 1” to 1-1/2” set. They shoot well and hunt good, which is all I’m after.

[bentstick54]

Arvin, the few super thick pieces of Osage I have come across so far, which is rare, if you look real close, seem to be made up of almost micro thin ring within the thick ( late wood) rings. What’s you experience?

[Selfbowman]

My understanding is that is lunar rings. Makes sense till you count them.🤠And then there is the month or months of the early ring it’s self. Good question!