Roughing vine maple

[Dan K]

I have a few vine maple logs and am anxious to start roughing a stave or two.  My question is this:  Is it better to rough a green stave and tie it to a board to control warping while it dry's or rough it green, let it dry in a corner and then straighten it with steam if and when it warps?

[steve b.]

Hey Dan.  I don't know.  I'm a big believer in letting serendipity play her role so I'd do the latter--because it might warp in a desired direction.
But on that note, I've been thinking alot about roughing green staves to near floor tiller and, whilst still green, clamp them into forms that reflex, recurve, or whatever, and letting them cure like that.   Verses working dry wood.

[Joec123able]

You can rough it out and leave it thick enough that it can't warp then you don't have to worry about either

[Knapper]

Dan,
Not for sure about the better or best way. Many factors would come into play, how many logs do you have, what kind of space for storage, do you have a hot box, are you wanting to build right now or in a year after they cure? As far as bending,split logs can bend and twist. I've never used vine maple, but hickory will. You can rough to bow size, clap to form an put in a hot box to dry. Make sure you seal the back and ends first. During bow building unless the stave is just perfect I just get out the steamer.
Knapper

[Dan K]

OK; to start, I've never made a vine maple bow before.  I'm working one that has a crack in it and I'm not hopeful it will last but I'm going to complete it just to learn.  I'n the meantime, I want to make another one but the staves/logs I have are all still pretty green.  That's why I asked the question about roughing and drying.

 The one I'm working now is a log, 2 1/4" X 59" long that I cut in half with the bandsaw. I laid it out with a 4" asymmetrical handle and 2" fades tapering to 1/2" at the tips.  Pyramid shape. I'm going to reflex and not back it.  If I screw up the weight then I want to try sinew for the first time to save the bow and..well...try sinewing something since I've never done that either.

I also have:
3 1/2" X 85" split to 1 3/4" thick a month ago and hasn't warped at all.
3 1/2" X 58" still a log
2 1/2" X 60" (straight up to 50" and I'll need to straighten the last 10" to get it to 60")
3" X 68" character bends that lay straight tip through handle

[Weylin]

You should strip the bark off, seal the ends. cut away the bottom half leaving the tension side. Let it dry for a couple weeks in the half log form and then rough it out but leave it full width to the tips and let it dry for another few weeks. Should be good to go after that. if you're not sure about the moisture at that point you could leave it for another week after you get it to floor tiller stage. I wouldn't mess with hotboxes or strapping it down. It shouldn't warp very badly if at all if you do it this way. Good luck, buddy.

[JW_Halverson]

CMB sent me a VM stave with the bark still on.  Boy howdy, do I ever wish I had peeled the bark right away.  Eh, live and learn. 

Good luck with your staves.  I've seen some barn burners made from VM, you got some resources to play with now!

[Dan K]

Thank you all for your comments.  This will help me speed things up a bit.  I started to peel the bark of the long one yesterday and think I waited a bit too long on that one.  Scraping off pretty easy though so not  too bad.  I think I'll go get another one this weekend and see what you all mean by "peel."

Thanks again!

[crooketarrow]

  If you worry about warping. Just half and let season. Might take longer but they won't warp.
  Steve did that for years when I start out 22 years ago.  But now I do it with out the cauls just reflex while green. RACKET STRAP between saw horses down to the floor. You can put the amount of reflex in it you want and it takes a fraction of the time. Let season this way it' comes out same as if you put on a caul.

[Dan K]

Thanks Crooketarrow that's a simple trick...I'll try it on one and see how it works!

[Weylin]

Be careful trying to induce reflex in vine maple. It usually dries into reflex all by itself. By the time you're ready to make a bow the stave usually has more reflex than you want.

[Gordon]

Be careful trying to induce reflex in vine maple. It usually dries into reflex all by itself. By the time you're ready to make a bow the stave usually has more reflex than you want.

I second that opinion!

[Dan K]

Wow you're right!  I'm working a few different methods and the one I roughed two days ago already has 1 1/2" of reflex!  This stuffs alive after dead that's for sure!  I debarked and split the 85" stave and have it in the corner.  Does it matter if you store horizontal or vertical?