starting 1st osage bow

[brownhillboy]

I thought I would post a couple of pics of the osage stave I'm getting ready to start on.  It's about 60" long and 2" wide across the sapwood.  I don't know if you can tell anything by my blurry picture, but I'm thinking of taking it down to the wider, flatter growth ring that is about where my fingers meet the side in the pic.  I'm also a little concerned with the moisture content as it's flashing back and forth between 0 and 1% on my moisture meter!  Isn't that way too dry?  What do you think I should do?  Thanks for the help, Brad.

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[Ryano]

Brad, first off ya that picture is pretty blury. What kind of bow are you wanting to build? If you take it down that far will you have enough material left for your handle grip? Where are you at? 1% moisture level is pretty unlikely. I think something is wrong with your meter or you using it wrong. I don't even have a moisture meter its not really nessasary. I just keep my wood I'm working on in a hot box all the time, seems to work for me. That ring your talking about looks good If it will leave you enough material to work with. Otherwise I'd use one closer to the top. I've made good bows out of some pretty tight ringed osage. You just need to be sure you don't violate them thin rings. use a scraper and sand paper when your getting close to the ring you want.

[brownhillboy]

Ryan, I'm going to try another recurve but I can glue on another block for the handle if I need to.  I do plan on making it a non-bending handle.  The reason I thought I might go down that far is because the upper rings are so crooked.  Maybe the moisture meter is not working right.  I've been heating the house with wood heat the last few days, but I wouldn't think it would be that dry.  I've got a broken hickory bow that is unfinished in the same room, and it's only showing 2%.  It was working fine a few weeks ago though.

[Ryano]

Woodstoves burning here all the time in the winter months. I couldnt get wood that dry here If I tried.

[Pat B]

I keep the bows I'm working on next to the wood stove and can't get them too dry...even when the R/H is low.
   If you plan to reduce the thickness by half on that stave, why don't you split it and get 2 staves from it.  Also there are good rings just under the thin rings under the sapwood that would make a good backing. There is a lot of work chasing rings and unless you just want the experience, its not necessary to go halfway down that stave for a good ring.   Pat

[brownhillboy]

Thanks guys.  I guess I'll try one of the rings closer to the top.  Do you think it is better to chase a ring and then cut out the shape, or cut out the shape and then chase a ring?  I think I've read of people doing it both ways.  Oh yeah, I'll just assume that it's not too dry.  Thanks again.