This one's yours Manny

[Gordon]

Manny, I finally got around to reducing your vine maple stave. The stave is 70” long and holds 5” of natural reflex. I’ve never sent a stave through the mail before – have any tips? Do you do anything to protect the back from dings? Here are a couple of pics.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Wow, that's sweet Gordon, ...can't wait to try it


when I send Guava staves the bark is still on so I'll just wrap with newspaper.

What I'm gonna say now might scare some people.


I've send a few finished bows to the mainland, and I only wrapped them with thick brown paper, duck tape, and wrote FRAGILE all over


...but so far they all got there unscanted

[ber643]

Gordon, I love that a fine bowyer like you is making a bow as desirable as your Vine Maples are for our Hawaiian friend, Manny. He deserves one - wish I could make him one out of Thor's Lightning bolts or something. From experience I can say I was scared "gasless" the day they delivered my "Hula Girl" from Manny and I saw his "packaging". I just knew it was toast - but it was fine as frog's fur, thank the good Lord. I told him Princess Pele must be looking out over his bows  . Of course we have a problem somewhere in our string of POs in this area that I have a complaint pending on right now. Not for money, but just to locate the careless worker(s) that have caused me to receive 4 damaged packages in past year, 3 of them within the last two months. The latest completly destroyed a (regular arrow shipping) box of a dozen hand made arrows, coming as a gift. Think I wasn't broken hearted - for both me and the sender? My suggestion (though it's heavier)? Use either a large PVC drain pipe, or get (usually discarded anyway) thick cardboard rolls that carpets come on, from your local carpet sales/installer place (usually free). You can plug the end with a round of wood, cut to size and secured with screws through the thick cardboard tube sides. Dano gren uses those. Plenty bubble wrap, foam S's, newspaper, paper towels, rags, or whatever on the inside. Bows (and arrows)  in the mail these days are scary business.  Good luck to both of you fine gentlemen (and bowyers) in all things you do, from this ol' hoss.

[Gordon]

Thanks for the tips Bernie. But actually I'm sending Manny the stave so he can build a bow out of it. I'm anxious to see what our Hawaiian master can do with this wood.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Master my butt, Gordon


steem or heat gun to straiten that kink ??

How long before Vine maple can be worked into a bow ??

[ber643]

LOL - come to think of it I seem to recall there were some talk exchanged between you two about a stave - but I completly forgot it. That'll be neat too, and still the best to both of you  .

[Gordon]

I use steam to bend vine maple - not had much luck with dry heat. You could make a bow out of it now.

[BryanB]

Gordon-
The first few staves I mailed the post office made me wrap my stave from tip-to-tip with packing tape.
The last few I simply taped sections of brown paper bag over it. (it takes a lot less tape).
Make sure it's not over 72" or your freight goes through the roof.
I can't wait to see how this turns out.
Bryan