Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Julian on November 04, 2017, 10:16:53 pm
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So I decided I'll take a trip out to a timber supplier who has a bit better stock than I have available locally.
The bow woods I can get are american cherry, white oak, white ash, maple, and European beech.
What should I come home with?? I'm looking for something that's pretty, and unlikely to break on me, lol.
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Toughest of that bunch will be white oak in my opinion. Takes a stain well too. Grain is key though. 8
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I would pass on the cherry and beech.depends on the species of maple?if it's sugar maple it will make a good bow!
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I would pass on the cherry and beech.depends on the species of maple?if it's sugar maple it will make a good bow!
All it said was 'American Hard Maple' Acer Saccharinum, also known as silver maple. according to google.
EDIT: Scratch that. it's 'acer saccharum', which is sugar maple.
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White oak is tough but my favourite out of those is maple by a long way. Heat treated maple makes a great bow. straight grain, straight grain, straight grain.......;)
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Maple it is, cheers.
I'll post again when I get my hands on some.
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Sugar maple is diffuse porous and doesn't handle much grain violation very well.pretty much goes off like a bomb when pushed to far.white oak is more forgivng.but is low in compression,like ash as well.both like a deep heat treating.with trapped backs.
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Sugar Maple is a great wood Im working with it now but it can be a little compression weak but with the right design it makes a fast bow never tried white oak but some around here like it !
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Sugar Maple is a great wood Im working with it now but it can be a little compression weak but with the right design it makes a fast bow never tried white oak but some around here like it !
What would you recommend. Trapped belly?
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Mike in the above post recomended heat treating he has worked maple more then me , but I made a maple bow that was to short for the draw it was a sweet fast bow one of my favorites at about 1200 or better arrows it freeted I detuned it to 35 lb and still shooting but had I made it longer it would have probably not fretted , if I where making another I would make sure I had good length for a self bow of my draw , dont get me wrong I love maple one of my favorites its just one of those woods that needs the right design with enough length in a self bow !
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Most important is the grain orientation. You want the grain running full length with few is any grain runoffs, both on the back, ends and along the sides. If possible you should go through the stacks and hand pick the best piece you can get. Be sure to re-stack better than you found it.
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trapped back not belly.best to look for rift sawn lumber
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Sorry for hijacking the thread, just a short question, in your opinion wich is bether for a backing hard maple or white oak?
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trapped back not belly.best to look for rift sawn lumber
Thanks for the tips
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Maple also takes glue of all kinds very well for raw hide or sinew, flax etc.
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Turmoiler, either make good backings. Hard to say which is best. That depends of the belly and the design.
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Thanks pat
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Julian, I have made a number of Hard/Rock/Sugar Maple self-bows. None of which have broken. Trap the back, or at least round the edges. Heat treat after floor tiller. If you build it the same design as your previous effort, you should have a good bow, If you choose your board wisely. I have not seen any chrysals in any of my maple bows. Mind, they are 66" plus. Diffuse porous woods can handle a little violation. If you go with flat sawn, make sure the cathedrals are not close together. Rift and quarter sawn, look for nice straight lines. If you get a board say 145mm wide with cathedral middle and rift either side you will get three bows out of it. Rock Maple was my favourite til i used it all up. Now my supplier has plenty of "birds-eye" maple, but nothing with straight grain. Oh well, find something else. I have a white oak bow on the bench at the moment. Probably shoot it in next week. A well rated and tough bow wood.....