I'm looking for someone that had experience making selfbows around south central PA. I live above Carlisle. Mainly I need help chaising some sage rings. Anyone out there?
Not in your area but use a scraper and go slow!!
Osage shows the growth rings pretty clearly, you can tell what is the good wood and what's the bad stuff, and like said before, go slowly.
Sean
forget a scraper unless you want to be chasing a ring for a month...get a draw knife a dull one at that..I can chase a ring in less than 30 minute with a dull draw knife on a 64 inch stave...a pic of the growth rings would help...I like to lean mine against a shelf or something...the light needs to hit the stave just right to be able to see the early wood growth right..makes it pop out ...thats the ticket...gut
If you have large growth rings a drawknife is great...still go slow...one slip and that stave is done, or you will have to back it.
Darren Shue "Hackbow" is in Pittsburgh.
Here's my Homepage (http://residents.bowhunting.net/sticknstring/default.html)
Click on the "Roughing Out a Selfbow" Tutorial. I show how to chase a ring there.
One hint: do your ring chasin' in direct sunlight.
This tute may help you some as well
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000046
Use all your sences, you can feel hear and see the difference between the early wood and late wood rings. GO SLOW!!
Mark
It is more like, one slip and you have to go down to the next ring and start over. Done it a few times myself.