I'm working on my first self bow, out of an Osage stave.  I'm in the process of chasing a ring.  I'm about 3/4 of the way through it, but....IT'S TAKING FOREVER!!  I've been using a few tools but with drawbacks.  A Flexcut draw knife, card/cabinet scrapers, scissors, and this little Stanley rasp.  

 


Here's the problems I'm having.  

1. Draw knife - Really sharp, and really digs in splintering the wood, I'm scared I'll violate my ring with it.

2. Stanley rasp - Grips the wood really good, and hardly takes any wood off.  

3. Scissors/scrapers - working well, but takes FOREVER to get down to the ring, doesn't take enough material away.

So my question is this.....what am I left with?  I need a tool that will take away more wood, without violating the target ring.  I wanted to have this bow done by the season opener, or at least that month, but it's not looking good.  Any help is appreciated.  Thank you.

How deep is the ring you are chasing?  I think you will get in trouble quick using anything other than a scraper.

The only thing I use is a drawknive and cabinet scraper.  One thing I have discovered in my limited experience is, the ring will get thicker from the small end to the large end of the stave.  I found it almost necessary to work from the small to the large end, and it did at times pull up some pretty deep splinters, due to the increasing thickness of the rings, but they didn't go below the ring I was working on.
Also, your draw knife might be too sharp.  It just needs enough edge to scrape the ring, but you don't want it so sharp that it cuts into the ring you are chasing.

Which direction is the bevel on your draw knife when you're using it? I use mine with the bevel down and it doesn't seem to dig in as much.


John

You want bevel down on your draw knife, sweeping cuts across your stave instead of pulling toward you. If you wood is tearing and splintering you may be working against the grain, swap end and work from the other direction. Some osage is splintery, some cuts like butter. You may have some of the splintery kind.

If you dull the drawknife it tends to go between the early wood and the late wood and seperates them making it alot easier.  It takes me about 30 minutes to chase a ring on hedge, I use a dull drawknife, cabinet scraper and one of Mr. Krewsons pin knot scrapers.
Cody

Now we're getting somewhere fellas.   The bevel is down on my draw knife.  I've been pulling straight towards myself.  I may have to try turning around. I also believe it is way too sharp.  Should I dull it a bit with some sandpaper? And what are Mr. Krewson's pin knot scrapers?  And how can I get one?   Thanks fellas.

You should be able to control the dig on your drawknife with a shallow angle and a diagonal pull towards you as Eric suggests. I wouldn't take a good edge off a sharp drawknife. I don't think they are the easiest things in the world to sharpen again. Get it close with drawknife and go the final distance with the scraper.

Staves with dippy grain are tough to do with a draw knife. I use cooper's tools which are just like curved scraper (would work well too) and small Swedish push knife which is available from 3 Rivers. Jawge

I use a lens out of a eye glass. Works good on the dips and the humps.Used it for years,works on all woods.They never need sharpen.