Following the vertical or lateral grain

[George Tsoukalas]

I started on a hickory bow with a bit if a snaky grain and decided to add a section on my web site showing the process of following the vertical grain. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html

[Coo-wah-chobee]

The "newbies" will thank ya Jawge !  ......bob

[david w.]

This newbie thanks you   This will really help

[Justin Snyder]

A much needed reminder..... thanks George.  You must have been working on your site when I tried to visit the other day.  It said it was unavailable. I'm glad to see it is working great today.  Justin

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, Bob and David. Justin, I can't explain my site's unavailability the other day. I was working on it today only. Jawge

[Justin Snyder]

I guess I don't care why, just so I can get on it now. 

[George Tsoukalas]

I'm glad. Jawge

[David Long]

Thanks for posting that George. Question: It looks like from the pics we are looking at the outside of the stave (debarked). Can't see grain from there can you? I understand how you can from the opposite surface, split from the inside of the log. I'm a little slow...Dave

[George Tsoukalas]

Dave, good question. Bark and the inner bark (cambium) has been removed. Yes, look closely at the back and you will see grain lines running tip to tip. That is the vertical grain. Sometimes these lines are straight and run parallel to the edges and sometimes they take left and rights as these did. These you must follow when laying out the bow. Does that help? Jawge

[David Long]

That's clear Jawge, thanks. But when you look at for example yew, or maple staves, no such grain is given away. Just a white surface as smooth as a baby's butt. In that case you look from the "inside" I assume. Dave

[George Tsoukalas]

I agree. They are hard to see on yew. They would be hard to see from the inside of the stave. Jawge

[Justin Snyder]

David, the lines are there just real hard to see sometimes.  Sometimes scraping it smooth will help to reveal the lines.

[George Tsoukalas]

When a stave is hand split it will follow the vertical grain. So the bowyer just has to follow the sides of the stave. If it is band sawed then  probably not. Jawge

[Boro]

Cheers
This is very helpfull.
Boris

[huntersteve]

Thanks George.....one question...your following the grain to establish the centerline but isn't the grain violated when you start to taper towards the tips.....Steve