?'s about vine maple take down

[Cardboard_Duck]

I am planning on starting a two piece vine maple take down with the brass/steel sleeve.

What dimensions would you recommend for a #50 @ 28" around 62" tip to tip?

Thanks in advance.

[sharpend60]

That all depends on your skill as a bowyer...
66" should be a okay, if ya can make it. Thats the typical recommendation for 28" draw.
But

VM is amazing bow wood, 60" or 62" if ya know what your doing....
I just made one, 1 3/4 wide at the fade and just over 1/2" think. It is 58", flat bow style and ~60lbs at my draw 28.5"...
The bow is made from known tension wood. It has chrysled some and to my credit, very evenly. lol.
It is very fast but honestly is not long lived. 

Whatever ya do, start thick an wide, creep up slow on you draw weight/length.
I have never made a VM over 62"... I dont have dimensions on any others over 60" at the moment...

[steve b.]

I'd like to know what others think about that too as I'm making one like that in the near future but probably 60#.  If it helps, I just finished a VM D-bow, 59" and about 50-55 lbs. at 27".  I treated it like hickory and kept it 1.7" wide most of it length.  It started out with a couple inches of reflex and is now perfectly straight.  I shot it 50 times today and its straight.

I'm going at least 64", stiff handled, on my next one.  I want a big heavy hunting rig.

[Bryce]

Easiest.
64" ntn 1 1/2"wide 1/2" tips

[Cardboard_Duck]

Thanks guys!

Easiest.
64" ntn 1 1/2"wide 1/2" tips

Just a straight taper from fades to tips?

[Bryce]

If that's what you wanna do, you can do that. Or taper the last 12" or so.
Just really depends on what yah like.

-Pinecone

[Cardboard_Duck]

I got it roughed out, the sleeve installed, and straightened one of the limbs (it still needs a little more), but a couple of knots appeared on the belly side that I am concerned about. Here are some pics -



(the sleeve looks crooked here but it's just the angle of the picture)


and the knots...


They don't go all of the way through, should I just leave that area a little stiff, or drill them out and plug them?

Thanks in advance!

[steve b.]

Well the worst is over and the fun begins.  I would get to floor tillering and at the end of that session I would fill those knots with superglue.  At the end of every tillering session more superglue.  Looking forward to seeing this one done.

[dmenzies1950]

I wouldn't worry about those knots. If they were a little closer to the edge it might be a problem, but those should be ok. I've built VM bows with knots right on the edge and never had one blow! Vine maple is truly an amazing bow wood!            Dale

[Carson (CMB)]

That is looking good. I wouldn't worry about those nots, maybe ever so slightly stiffer st that pictured not, and superglue, like Steve b. said, is cheap insurance. 

[Bryce]

Those knots look fine to me