« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Maple for board bows  (Read 6707 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline dane lund

  • Member
  • Posts: 103
Maple for board bows
« on: March 19, 2015, 09:03:13 am »
Gentlemen,

I've see.no maple used as a backer, and vine maple for self bows and was wondering........

I build Penn/Ky longrifles, mostly out of sugar Maple.  Acer Saccharim.

My question is.... Will it make a good selfbow/board bow? 
If boards, how should it be sawn?

Your help greatly appreciated.
Logged
In His grip,
Smallpatch

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,609
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2015, 09:07:52 am »
Marc St Louis just posted a maple backed osage recurve yesterday and there are lots of examples of maple(sugar) and vine maple selfbows here on PA.
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline make-n-break

  • Member
  • Posts: 378
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2015, 09:40:57 am »
Use any search engine and type "maple board bow". You'll find hundreds of examples, many of which will direct you to Primitive Archer and Paleo Planet. Makes a great bow. Easy to work, light weight and good cast.
Logged
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline PatM

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,737
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2015, 09:51:48 am »
Just don't try to use fancy gunstock material for a bow. The grain has to be straight.
 Maple is one of the best woods you can find for a bow.
Logged

Offline Knoll

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,016
  • Mikey
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2015, 10:39:35 am »
I'm a crappy bow builder.  But made quite a respectable longbow from a maple board.   It's my daily shooter.

Straight grain, imo, is key.
Logged
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2015, 11:01:27 am »
Yup maple makes a great bow i did a build a long in the how too's with a maple board
Logged
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline dane lund

  • Member
  • Posts: 103
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2015, 12:06:52 pm »
There are many species of maple.  Can I assume that sugar maple (the hardest/most dense) is the best?
Logged
In His grip,
Smallpatch

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2015, 12:19:09 pm »
That's what i use
Logged
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2015, 12:21:22 pm »
  I will sometimes buy flat sawn hard maple and chase a ring on it turning it into a stave. Not real hard to find straight grained maple boards. Maple makes great self bows.
Logged

Offline paoliguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 604
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2015, 12:35:32 pm »
I'm not pro but the best board bow I've ever made was maple from a big box store. I've been shooting it for a couple of years now and still enjoy it.
Logged

Offline Wooden Spring

  • Member
  • Posts: 437
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2015, 04:56:43 pm »
I own "The Gunsmith of Grenville County" and have drooled over it for years...  I SO would love to be able to do what you do...
Logged
"Everything that moves shall be food for you..." Genesis 9:3

Offline dylanholderman

  • Member
  • Posts: 787
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2015, 07:57:37 pm »
I've made three maple selfbows from staves my personal one settled in at about 70lb after shooting it in, i have also found it to like heat treating helps with set. if you use a board it may not be as important sense it will be kiln dried, i'm in wet humid ohio so that plays a part i would think. 
Logged

Offline George Tsoukalas

  • Member
  • Posts: 9,425
    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2015, 10:16:41 am »
Yes, it will. Jawge
Logged
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline dane lund

  • Member
  • Posts: 103
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2015, 10:47:04 am »
Probably not the right place to post this, but this is the last one I finished. Very dense piece of sugar maple.  Was hoping to use some of the cut offs from these planks for bows.


Logged
In His grip,
Smallpatch

Offline paco664

  • Member
  • Posts: 307
  • ok,ok.. i might have done it...
Re: Maple for board bows
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2015, 12:45:41 pm »
holy cow thats pretty...
Logged
I'm too drunk to taste this chicken"~Col.H.Sanders
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »