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Author Topic: Sugar maple bow stave  (Read 2051 times)

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Offline Jakesnyder

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Sugar maple bow stave
« on: February 11, 2019, 02:36:23 pm »
I have a sugar maple stave that's almost dry and I'm wanting to start working it down some. It's got a pretty good twist to it as you can see. Is dry heat or wet heat better for maple? How does it bend? I've never worked with maple before. Any help would be appreciated.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2019, 03:33:21 pm »
Thats 90 degrees. I dont think you'll have great luck with any heat, and working into bow shape would be difficult at best. Id cut its length down, far that far end, and eliminate as much twist as i could. Get it around 45 degrees and you have a shot.
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Offline sleek

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2019, 05:19:54 pm »
Maybe cut it into billets and splice it, cutting the splice in a way that removes the twist? Or say heck with it, cut it to a board, and back it with hickory or something?
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2019, 05:59:33 pm »
I agree with PD, that's a lot of twist to try and contend with.  I do like the wood though.  Responds well to heat treating.
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Offline Ballasted_Bowyer

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2019, 04:00:46 pm »
That stave has a lot of twist to make a selfbow. You might have success ripping it into two lams with the grain arranged as mirror images: Rip, open the book and then stack. Then use a wood backing with ideal grain as a third lam. Try to make the mirror lams the same thickness AFTER tiller.
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Offline Jakesnyder

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2019, 04:01:11 pm »
Another question about sugar maple. Is it weaker in compression or tension?  How do you deal with a high crown back? Can you decrown maple?
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2019, 04:21:14 pm »
Been a few years since I worked on those maple bows so...from memory....weaker in compression but not like say, hackberry weaker.  Again,I heat treated them all and it made a big difference in firming the belly up.  Most every stave bow has some degree of crown, with some more severe than others, like say a bow from a small diameter limb.  I dont decrown any of them.  If the crown is really high, then I will go longer, more narrow in width and get it bending thru the handle to compensate.
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Sugar maple bow stave
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2019, 04:21:39 pm »
The crown is not an issue on "normal" design
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