Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: stickthrower on August 07, 2010, 05:17:12 pm

Title: Bow wood question
Post by: stickthrower on August 07, 2010, 05:17:12 pm

Just a quick question.

Is hard maple good for bows?  I seem to be coming into an abundance of it and thought I may get lucky and have A LOT of wood to work from once I figure out what I am doing.

Thanks

Nathan

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: Parnell on August 07, 2010, 05:19:01 pm

I've seen some great bows made from it, I think it's supposed to be very elastic and can make some very fast bows.  Do you know more about what species of maple you have?  Maybe you could post some pictures?

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: Pat B on August 07, 2010, 05:24:29 pm

Generally hard maple is sugar maple(Acer saccharum) and yes it makes good bows. If the grain is right you can make backing strips from it too.

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: JW_Halverson on August 07, 2010, 05:28:08 pm

I made an ELB from a maple board and backed it with a thin strip of hickory.  I was pleasantly suprised how I had to keep taking more and more wood off to get it to bend!  Turned out a nice bow. 

I can only imagine how nice it would be to work from a stave.  Good Luck!

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: half eye on August 07, 2010, 06:02:51 pm

Hey Stickthrower,
     Like Pat said, and I think it is terrific bow wood and makes hellacious backers to boot. From my experience what ever style ya make it will will probably be thinner than you think it should be......makes really speedy bows. Be carefull with your pics on the grain. if it's real straight it's hell for tough.
rich

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: adb on August 07, 2010, 06:19:57 pm

Does maple make good bow wood  ::). Maple is my favourite whitewood. I've used it as backing strips with osage, cherry, walnut, lemonwood, and also as mid lam layers in tri-am ELBs. It also makes excellent selfbows, and I especially like it it backed with rawhide. Keep it wide and flat for selfbows, otherwise the sky is the limit.

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: George Tsoukalas on August 08, 2010, 12:11:41 am

Yes it makes good bow wood and awesome syrup. :) Jawge

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: stickthrower on August 08, 2010, 12:46:26 pm

Yeah, unfortunately didn't really pay alot of attention to the trees until they started to die off.  So I never got a chance to get some syrup!  But I will have a good amount of wood once they come down from the looks of it. 

Thanks all

Nathan

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: Pat B on August 08, 2010, 01:53:07 pm

Nathan, If the trees are dying I wouldn't use them for bow wood. Fungi will get in to white wood very fast after it dies. Once that starts its too late!

Title: Re: Bow wood question
Post by: ricktrojanowski on August 08, 2010, 11:01:45 pm

Nope, Terrible bow wood, in fact send all of it to me.