Osage Bow (that hopefully doesn't take 10 months)

[Marin]

Does an 8 inch draw knife seem like to big for this project?

[Stick Bender]

Yep buy the best you can get its a good investment if looking used find one thats not pitted up or really nicked up but even ruff ones will work just a matter of reworking the edge , you will be doing your self a big favor to get one !

[bjrogg]

Marin, I'm sure most people have a nicer draw knife than mine. It's been in our family for along time. I has had one handle replaced. It's been abused, beat on, sharpened with a grinder generally not lived the life it deserved. Having said all that it is my go to tool for bow work. I'd be lost without it. Believe me any draw knife is better than no draw knife. Keep chasing those rings.
Bjrogg

[Eric Krewson]

I looked at the ebay drawknives, there are two Greenlee  10" on the first page, very good drawknives in almost perfect shape. I have an identical one my shop and can attest to it's quality. I prefer a longer blade than 8", I have a 6" that is hard to use for anything other than cleaning up around pin knots.

I like a straight bladed knife, others may like a curved blade. I also like straight handles with no offset to the blade.

What ever configuration you get you can learn to use it.

The top knife is a heavy debarking drawknife and the one I use the most, I like heavy and big.
The next one is the Greenlee
The third is a Pine Knot that is currently on the Trad Gang St Jude Auction, it won't go cheaply.
The last is the 6" swedish drawknife with a thin, light blade. It is hard to keep that thin blade from digging in.

 

[Marin]

Just ordered a greenlee draw knife (thanks for recommending that brand eric) from eBay for about 37 bucks. Hopefully it works. The pics of it looked good.

[bjrogg]

Great Marin, it might take you a little bit to figure out how to use it but I'm sure you'll be happy to own one in a short time.

[Eric Krewson]

If you haven't used a drawknife you will find you have more control and less gouging if you use it bevel down.

[Marin]

Bjrogg,
To get some practice with it before I chase the ring, should I use it to thin the belly a little bit?

[Marin]

Okay got my greenlee draw knife today. How should I go about practicing or should I go ahead on chasing a ring?

[Stick Bender]

If you have severale rings to go ,If it was me I would go for it on your stave you could stack your rings like in the pic and work your way down with a clear view of your target ring also like Eric said you can start with the bevel down & at a skew the knife will dig in less , if you run into undulations those are little valleys you will need a radius scrapper or pocket knife, if your knife starts to dull you could pick up a peace of leather & a flat board & some jewelers rouge to re sharpen , I have a a lot of different lights that I stage around the stave especially thin ring staves and adjust them tell the early & late wood pop off like a road map , there is nothing like a clean chased back of hedge I hang mine on the wall & when I come home from work & tired I look at them and dream of future bows it always revives me enjoy 

[Stick Bender]

Clean back

[Eric Krewson]

A couple of tips;

You want to use your knife bevel down, I like my draw knives sharp but most folk have better luck chasing a grain with one if it is a little dull.

Take a slicing motion a little side to side instead of pulling the knife directly toward you.

When you get to a knot you have to ride the grain over the knot carefully, I use a round nose scraper for this wood removal. If you are cleaning up around the knot with your drawknife, make a cut on the side facing you first, if you don't, quite often a splinter will come off the far side, ride over the knot and gouge out a spot on the side facing you. A cut on the downside will stop any splinter that comes over the knot and you won't get a tearout.

If you are working a grain and the wood starts getting splintery, turn your stave around and work it in the opposite direction. Splintery means you are working against the grain and you want to work with it. The grain can change direction on a stave from one end to the other.

[Marin]

Eric,
By slicing motion, you mean I move the draw knife side to side as I am pulling it down? What do you mean by that?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Here's the motion I use when wanting to make clean cuts. The bevel is down so it won't dig in. Essentially cut the wood with a slice. If I'm hossing off wood I keep the blad perpendilular to the wood and pull straight back.

Kyle

[bjrogg]

All good advice Marin, if you have a piece of scrap wood around maybe you could play with it a little to get a feel for it. It really will come pretty natural. It's not terribly complicated. On that stave I would practice a ring before I went for the one you want. You'll get it. Like said you might need combination of draw knife and scraper or pocket knife. Like Eric said biggest thing to watch out for is tearing out grain.
Bjrogg