Author Topic: Question about chasing rings... (Read 5135 times)

CrazyHorse1969 · « **on:** May 25, 2015, 04:07:11 pm »

I cut, split, quartered, and sealed a mix of Osage, Black Locust, and Hickory and have a question about chasing rings. I know for sure when I removed the bark and sapwood from the Osage and Black Locust I did not violate the growth rings. So, after the staves dry, am I good-to-go? Or, do I still have to chase rings? If so--that is, if I do still have to chase rings--how deep do I go? Can I still stay in the lighter white wood, or do I have to go down to the darker heartwood? Thanks.

JW_Halverson · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2015, 04:14:58 pm »

I have never had much luck chasing a growth ring on wet osage or mulberry. So I have always had to go to the next ring at the least. Your mileage may vary.

CrazyHorse1969 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2015, 04:18:52 pm »

Okay. That helps. I am not looking for a shortcut, just curious. Thanks.

mikekeswick · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2015, 04:46:06 pm »

If you did it super carefully it would be fine.
When you chase a ring the objective isn't to just not go through to the next ring but to take nothing at all from the ring you intend to be your back. Like not a single fiber violated anywhere....that's the goal! Eg. it's basically careful scraper work and or sandpaper on awkward bits around knots.

George Tsoukalas · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2015, 04:49:56 pm »

On the hickory remove the bark and you are good to go.
On the BL and osage chase to a nice heartwood ring.
More on my site.
Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

CrazyHorse1969 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2015, 05:06:51 pm »

Thanks, guys.

Eric Krewson · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2015, 09:45:04 am »

Yikes! If you pealed the bark off your osage and didn't remove the sap wood you are flirting with disaster. Osage sapwood will check while you are watching it and ruin your staves. If you are very lucky you can seal the backs with multiple coast of shellac or some other sealant and stop the checking but I doubt it.

I have lost some mighty fine osage to checking when I got lazy and didn't remove the sapwood after I removed the bark. I have worked between 200 and 300 osage staves so I know a bit about the process.

Pappy · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2015, 10:04:30 am »

Same as Eric has been my experience. If I take the bark off I always take it down to heart wood even if I don't chase a ring, I have found it easier to do that while it's green even though I don't always do it, get lazy from time to time but for sure easier when I do.

Pappy

CrazyHorse1969 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2015, 10:37:36 am »

Quote from: Eric Krewson on May 26, 2015, 09:45:04 am

Yikes! If you pealed the bark off your osage and didn't remove the sap wood you are flirting with disaster. Osage sapwood will check while you are watching it and ruin your staves. If you are very lucky you can seal the backs with multiple coast of shellac or some other sealant and stop the checking but I doubt it.

I have lost some mighty fine osage to checking when I got lazy and didn't remove the sapwood after I removed the bark. I have worked between 200 and 300 osage staves so I know a bit about the process.

I did seal the staves (both ends and back) with wipe-on Poly, but you are saying that I need to remove the section (the lighter wood) I indicated in the picture too?

Pappy · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2015, 11:52:45 am »

Yep that is what he is saying,it will check quickly and if it does it will go straight into the heart wood before it stops.
Pappy

CrazyHorse1969 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2015, 12:28:50 pm »

Quote from: Pappy on May 26, 2015, 11:52:45 am

Yep that is what he is saying,it will check quickly and if it does it will go straight into the heart wood before it stops.
Pappy

Thanks. Looks like I have some more work ahead of me!

Stringman · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2015, 01:06:20 pm »

Yep, more work now, but saves loads of heartache later.

Eric Krewson · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2015, 05:02:09 pm »

One good thing is you can remove green sapwood pretty easily. Go after it like a house on fire, if you get down where you can see any yellow wood you can stop, it doesn't have to be pretty.

I cut most of mine off with a band saw, cutting at an angle from each side in.

If your stave is deep you can belly split it off. Your staves look a little small for belly splitting.

This osage had the thickest sapwood I have ever seen on a stave, no way was I going to shave it off. The quarters were wide and thick so I split the sapwood off.

osage outlaw · « **Reply #13 on:** May 26, 2015, 05:45:07 pm »

I try to remove the sapwood off of any osage stave I plan on storing away. I did leave it on a few thin staves a couple of weeks ago. I'm curious to see what happens. I put 2 thick coats of poly on them.

CrazyHorse1969 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2015, 07:08:57 pm »

Quote from: Eric Krewson on May 26, 2015, 05:02:09 pm

One good thing is you can remove green sapwood pretty easily. Go after it like a house on fire, if you get down where you can see any yellow wood you can stop, it doesn't have to be pretty.

I cut most of mine off with a band saw, cutting at an angle from each side in.

If your stave is deep you can belly split it off. Your staves look a little small for belly splitting.

This osage had the thickest sapwood I have ever seen on a stave, no way was I going to shave it off. The quarters were wide and thick so I split the sapwood off.

Holy wow! Thanks for the advice. I took care of one of them today. Back at it tomorrow.

Primitive Archer