Question on early wood. Black locust

[Morgan]

Very interesting. Thanks to all that helped out. George, sorry too stubborn to take that advice. I'll have to keep going, and if I break it well...I appreciate all the input. I'll keep going and let you know how it all works out.

Pretty good attitude to have when making wood bows

[ThreeSons]

Now what about my other question? Is there a practical reason the one NEEDS to remove the early wood when chasing a ring? Not saying I am desperate to try it just trying to better understand.

[Morgan]

I think pat said earlier that you could leave some on until you’re ready to finish the bow. The early wood rings are a weak stage of the wood, the late wood is strong and dense and what you want on the finished back.

[ThreeSons]

Right so what I see happening is it will just crumble off with tension and compression forces but what is really giving the strength is the late wood underneath. No chance it blows up from that like when you violate a ring correct?

[Pat B]

The only problem with leaving the early wood on is you don't get a good, clear picture of the back unless you do remove it.

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't blame you, Threesons. Maybe try going deeper into the heartwood to see if it goes away? Jawge

[M2A]

I've seen that coloration in spring wood before just like you describe and pics you shared. Always in standing dead locust or logs that have been cut and left to weather. In my experiences its in the (spring)heartwood rings close to the sap wood. I have always removed wood to get below that and have had success. I think that black is mold just like you would see in sapwood from being damp. I think you have a good chance of the late wood below being good.  Im a sucker for pretty wood but think it to be a too risky to leave that spring wood on there as a back. Your locust looks different than what I seem to find, what Pat B said in his post about doing a test piece +1

only thing I could add that has not been said....if this stave still has moisture to lose, seal the back when you get to it, with shellac. So you don't get drying checks on the back .

Mike

[DC]

I'm looking at the end grain picture. Is that very pronounced lunar rings I'm seeing?

[ThreeSons]

What are lunar rings dc?
I'm quite sure that these staves are quite dry enough but yes this is something I am getting to lead about each species I collect. I have found European buckthorn and alternate leaf dogwood do the same. Thanks Mike.
And George. That will definitely be my approach. I am happy my instinct has lined up with your experience with this wood.
Thanks everyone for the help. I hope one day I can do the same for other folks.

[ThreeSons]

I have read something about when the tree grows so fast that there are more than one ring in a growing season. Is that what a lunar ring means? If that is what is happening, is there something to do or does that mean the stave is firewood? Maybe I will make a clean cut on the end to show better the end grain. I think the rough chainsaw marks may distort the image. 

[ThreeSons]

So here is the cleaned up end grain. Do you notice some black dots closer to the back? I think I will try to not include that section in my bow.

[DC]

Lunar rings are just extra early growth rings I think. Now that you've cleaned up the end I don't see them. They must have been saw marks I was looking at. I don't think they affect the wood. I wonder if going down to this ring would get you past all the black stuff?

[ThreeSons]

Ya dc that's kinda where I was thinking too.  Are there benefits to using a thi per growth ring like that at my backing? Other than a little more room for error I suppose.

[Pat B]

Lunar rings are rings that are laid down on a monthly basis where annual rings are laid down over a years time. It tales lunar rings to make up annual rings. If you look closely at the annual ring you can see the lunar rings. In the newer pics they look like those light color dashes.
 Now that you have cleaned up the end grain it looks a lot more sound then the first end grain pic.

[TimBo]

Yeah, that looks like good black locust now!  I agree with the ring DC picked.  I would chase down to that one and see how it looks from there.