Frickin' vine maple

[Gordon]

I have a love/hate relationship with this wood. Today I had the most difficult time ever bringing a stick of vine maple to heal. I somehow managed to eek a bow out of it, but what a pain. If I had any sense at all I would just make bows out of yew and osage. Frickin' vine maple...

[Sidewinder]

Thats probabely why your bows are so frickin gorgeous Gordon. You have had plenty of practice on less than easy staves so you'v honed your skills. Me, I'm a wuss most of the time and pick the best stave possible. Can't wait to see the pics.   Danny

[wizardgoat]

I feel the same way, I want to love it, but I just dont. The swirly grain stuff hates any kind of tool except sand paper. I cut some hawthorn the other day. Ive hear its similar, but works a little better. Woulnt be surprised if im quoting your words there.

[mullet]

LOL. I have just the opposite experience with the wood in your area. I have a $200 Yew stave I hinged in my shop and I don't know how many Yew bows I have made that came in under weight trying to treat them like Osage. I have made some killer' bows out of Vine Maple, though, have a Take-Down in the works.

[wizardgoat]

Dont get me wrong, it makes great bows. Its the most abundant and accessible wood in my area.
Those grain swirls though...

[mullet]

I get my VM from Brian Melton and it has never failed me yet. It is my main, preferred White wood, and if it's not yellow I usually cook with it. It does seem to hang with the humidity fluctuations in Florida better then other whitewoods.

[vinemaplebows]

Wow Gordon, what's the problem? Too reflexed?

[Gordon]

Wow Gordon, what's the problem? Too reflexed?

Yeah, 7" of reflex, unstable limbs that refused to remember string alignment corrections, a dogleg that bent too much even though I left plenty of wood, reflex and deflex in all the wrong places. And that was just the beginning of my problems. Why do I torture myself with this stuff...

[George Tsoukalas]

These days I seem to enjoy working the character staves. Why? The challenge?
Interesting question.
I am glad you got a bow out of your vine maple.
I split out  a hickory stave. I took the worst part of the split-dog led, drying cracks, one limb reflexed, etc.
I just finished it. Lucky. I almost retired it as a tomato stake for several reasons but I got a bow out of it and a good shooter at that.
I hear ya on the vine maple, Gordon.
Congratulations!
Jawge

[Badly Bent]

I don't know vinemaple Gordon but I know what your saying about the difficult staves, they test your sanity for sure. After hours of labor trying to wrestle a bow out of one of while looking over at the pile of better wood in the shop you do start to feel a little crazy.  

[Billinthedesert]

It must be a heck of a gnarly stave to try the skills and patience of such a supreme bowyer as you, Gordon.

[Springbuck]

Wow Gordon, what's the problem? Too reflexed?

Yeah, 7" of reflex, unstable limbs that refused to remember string alignment corrections, a dogleg that bent too much even though I left plenty of wood, reflex and deflex in all the wrong places. And that was just the beginning of my problems. Why do I torture myself with this stuff...

Funny that sounds like MY most available wood: elm and canyon maple saplings.   Twists, waves, tries to dry into  way too much reflex or into a big C laterally,  starts straight, but dries with knees and doglegs.

 

[Gordon]

It must be a heck of a gnarly stave to try the skills and patience of such a supreme bowyer as you, Gordon.

Actually it wasn't that gnarly of a stave. Radically different limb profiles, excessive reflex, and vine maple's tendency to fight you at every turn (when highly stressed) turned what I thought was going to be a fairly routine effort into a major undertaking. I got it done, but not before I thought of turning the whole affair into a pile of tipi wood several times during the ordeal. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a challenge but every now and then you need a piece of wood to smack you around some and remind you that you're not the boss.

[Gordon]

Twists, waves, tries to dry into  way too much reflex or into a big C laterally,  starts straight, but dries with knees and doglegs.

Yep, that describes vine maple to a T.

[Gordon]

Here is what the bow looks like AFTER tillering. Still holding almost 4" of reflex!