When using maple for backing?

[Easternarcher]

I have heard some here say that maple makes great backing strips...so as backing does it need to be quarter sawn strips?
Some have said that a maple backed maple makes a good bow...I've never tried it, but I do have some decent rock maple here.....any suggestions for dimensions and grain orientation for backing?
Thanks

[tattoo dave]

Maple makes a fine backing, and a fine self bow. That's just my opinion. As far as the backing, I don't think ya need to worry about grain orientation. Now on a self bow, or as a core wood, yes you want to consider grain.

Tattoo Dave

[vyadha]

Please explain why maple backing strips work well regardless of grain orientation. Ive always thought the grain on the backing should be running straight.

I've used maple backing before and it works great. I used strips with straight grain.

[Easternarcher]

straight grain of course. But I'm wondering about flat vs vertical grain.

[vinemaplebows]

Not true, grain is critical with maple. No offense Dave.

[bubby]

i've used it with both quarter sawn and plainsawn with no problems, but like any backing you want good straight grain, Bub

[Marc St Louis]

Quarter sawn strips are probably best with Maple, I've used it many times for backing strips.  If you can saw a plain sawn strip without any ring violations then that would work as well.

[PatM]

I like Maple as a backing strip. .I think it's better and more reliable than typically available Hickory which often seems to be Bitternut.
 Marc,  Do you ever go to the Royal Wood Shop in Aurora? Very high quality Maple available there. A lot of it is already in backing strip sized sections.

[Easternarcher]

Some og my wood has a bit of birds eye in it....would that adversely affect the integrity or should it matter?

[adb]

I use 1/4 sawn maple backing strips on almost all my backed bows, including tr-lam warbows up to 120#. Grain is critical... straight and close is best. I've never had a failure with maple.

[tattoo dave]

No offense taken guys. I would prefer 1/4 sawn, but I have also used plenty maple backing strips with no regards to grain orientation at all, and never had any issues...Providing the core wood didn't have any issues, and there was no tillering problems. That's just my experience.

Tattoo Dave