Do you have to keep the back perfect on a vine maple?

[snowplow]

Hi all, I am roughing out a vine maple stave for what I hope to be my first 'real' bow build for my boy. It was only 1.5" wide to start with so the back is very curved. I thought I read somewhere that I could take down the belly as well as the back on vine maple with no worries. This would allow me to make a wider, thinner limb.

Should I thin the back down or leave it round?

Thanks for the help!

[aaron]

I'd leave it round- I have made a few VM bows with staves as small as 1 1/4 inch.

[DC]

Don't touch the back!

[snowplow]

Ok will do!

My concern was it getting so thin as I scrape away belly. I am shooting for 8# @ 18" and 46-48" long for my little guy. As I scrape away belly it will get less and less width. I just dont know what to expect. I imagine it will be mighty thin.

[PatM]

 Make it narrower first. It doesn't need to be wide at that weight.

[snowplow]

Thanks Pat, it is just roughed out to dry right now. Its at 1"+. I was figuring to have it be 3/4" at the widest part of the limb all said and done. What would you think for a 48"ish 8# bow?

[aaron]

hard to say what the final dimentions will be- seduce thickness and or width until you hit #8 and aim for a bow twice as wide as it is thick or so

[snowplow]

Will do!