John, I thought of you and this post today when I was chasing a growth ring. Hope it's OK if I add some pictures.
Light is so important to this process. The best lights I've found for inside the shop are the 500watt harbor freight shop lights. Sometimes, only a little move of the light makes a big difference. Here's my setup:
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6736792411_c6137e207c_z.jpg)
I normally run just 1 light, they're pretty hot. This bow has pretty tight rings and I had a tough time seeing them. Looking at the bow from my vantage the ring boundary is tough to see.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6736793843_3002cc0b7d_z.jpg)
Just turning on the left light instead of the right one changes everything.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6736793219_d61da55270_z.jpg)
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6736794917_62075987ce_z.jpg)
Don't be afraid to move around the stave and/or move the lights around the stave.
![Smiley :)](http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/Smileys/default/smiley.gif)
That knot came out pretty good.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6736798211_a1ba0a4f3f_z.jpg)
George