What exactly is a violation?

[Kenny H]

Hello, I have a question that may be dumb but I have tried to figure out what a violation is. I thought I knew but maybe I don't. I think it may be sanding or scraping into a ring? Is this even close? Or is it going against the grain? I haven't had the chance to chase a ring yet but I thought I would need to know for sure what this was before I tried because I think it may be very important in this operation of chasing a ring. Easy know cause I am new to this and I just don't want to be thinking the wrong thing and be doing something wrong.  Any help explaining this I would really appreciate. Thanks              Kenny
  I looked everywhere on Jawges site and I couldn't figure out what he was talking about.......

[George Tsoukalas]

kenny, a violation is what you described especially for a log stave.  Are you making a board bow? It can be a bit more complicated  for a board. Jawge

[Kenny H]

Yeah I want to know about both. If that is correct about the staves then what is it on boards? Someone said that my bow has some violations and Ive been trying to find them and haven't been able to figure out what they are talking about. Thanks for answering Jawge I was looking on your page and couldn't figure out what you was talking about. I will post pics of my bow all sides of it if someone would point them out and explain to me what they are.     Thanks      Kenny

[GregB]

Kenny, I think you're understanding it okay in regards to a stave. If you're chasing a certain grain that you want to be the back of your bow and you accidentally pulled up to much wood with your drawknife causing you to get into the next lower grain, then you've violated the grain you were chasing. Not so bad when chasing a grain and you can make the decision then to chase the next lower grain. Much worse when you have a roughed in bow and you violate or somehow work through the grain that is the back of your bow.

I've never made a board bow, but from what I've read and hopefully understand it is the same scenario for the most part. You should look for a board where the grains are all running parallel with each other and the edge of the board throughout the length of the intended bow. There shouldn't be any grain line that comes to a point or ends within the bow length...except you might get away with it if it's in a nonbending area such as the handle.

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, Greg. Good job on the board bow explanation. A violation there is when a grain line goes back to belly. Look on the edge you wills see them, Kenny. Keep asking questions. Gotta go. Jawge

[gutpile]

I agree with Greg B except exchange the word grain with ring on all his remarks...ring is a year growth of a tree...grain on the other hand is how the tree grows..as on a stave you chase a single years growth..a ring for the back..if you cut through that growth into another years growth you have a violation..you have early wood and latewood in each years growth...latewood is what you want for a back..it is harder and should be bigger than the early wood.. and early wood is more like spongy and soft it is laid down ealry in the year when the tree grows fast.....grain..is how the tree grows ..it may grow straight..it may twist all the way around the tree..it may snake and twist and bend sharply..after you split a stave it will follow the grain...usually you can look down the stave and see how your grain runs...grain and ring are two totally different things..gut