Author Topic: Backing for maple bow  (Read 4768 times)

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Offline StickandString88

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Backing for maple bow
« on: December 30, 2009, 11:14:44 am »
What woods would make a good backing for a maple board bow?  I know my boards do not really need a backing because of their super straight grain, but I would like to try it anyway.   I have a few strips of straight grained red oak.  Would they work?

half eye

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Re: Backing for maple bow
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2009, 12:01:17 pm »
s & s
      have made several "self backed" bows...i.e. maple backed maple from the same board. they work very well, are quiet and shoot very hard. I don't see why red oak wouldn't work as good (or better) than my maple back. I did not induce reflex when I glued them up but you may wish to do that while your at it.
      Here is the specs on the ones I made up: 65" ntn, pin knocks and 5" stiff tips. grip is 1" wide and 1 &1/8" deep. the limbs are 1 7/16 at the fades tapering to 1/2" at the tips. the grip is 5" with 1 1/4" fades...the belly is 3/8" thick and the backing is 1/4" thick. the bow draws 58# @ 28" and took 1" of set (with no reflex set in)
     attaching two pics for you...the Xtra thickness at the tip is on the belly side. hope this is of some help to you. I really like maple for its' working properties, of course it isn't too good for pretty grain (in the hard straight grain boards)
half eye ;)

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Offline StickandString88

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Re: Backing for maple bow
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2009, 12:28:52 pm »
Thanks!  That was exactly what I was looking for.  I am starting to really like maple as a bow wood.  I just finished one that is 72" tip to tip (40# @28), that tapers from 1.75 wide at the fades to 3/8 at the tips.  For being overbuilt, it shoots pretty hard.  I will let you know how the red oak backing works.

Offline NTProf

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Re: Backing for maple bow
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2009, 03:06:07 pm »
Search here for "maple bows" (or something like that). A while ago Badger had a post (maple backed maple) on backing maple boards with different types of wood - maple, red oak, hickory.

Offline adb

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Re: Backing for maple bow
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 12:12:17 am »
I love maple. My favourite whitewood for sure. I've backed maple boards with hickory and ash, but my favourite backing by far is rawhide.

Offline David Long

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  • Only dead fish swim with the stream.
Re: Backing for maple bow
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2009, 12:51:01 am »
Sinew and rocky mountain maple I have found to be a great combination.
NW Montana