Green Maple :)

[mikekeswick]

I've just scored a load of green maple from Austria
A lack of good enough, straight, no knots, no twist maple has been holding me back from making more hornbows.
I'll  post pictures of the cores I get bent. The shape of the core is vital to the finished bow.

[loon]

Niice
Green as in, it's not seasoned yet? Because I can't find anything about a species called "green maple".

What kinds of hornbows are you hoping to make?
Would like to see a longer-draw one. You're doing thumb draw, you can pull back to 32" and not worry about string pinch!

[stuckinthemud]

Cold climate maple grown at altitude? Sounds perfect! Gonna keep an eye on this one

[Aaron H]

Very cool Mike, I know you have been looking for years now.  What kind of maple? Tatar or mountain maple?

[BowEd]

Austria....Might that tree be growing at a high elevation?Nice stuff I bet then.Congrats.

[Aaron H]

Why is it that high elevation grown maple would be preferred for laths?

[mikekeswick]

Yes green as in freshly cut not dried wood. Green wood will steam bend much better than dried wood. Even with this fresh wood I will soak it in water for about three days before bending the cores.
I don't know where exactly it was growing but as long as the wood is perfectly straight, no twist, no pins etc it doesn't really matter. Young trees are more elastic and easier to bend but if older trees are all you can get it shouldn't make much difference in the finished bow.
Aaron - it is mountain maple. Yes it has been a long search!! I think I've found a good supplier now he is a tree surgeon and knows what to keep from the burnpile! I've finally managed to germinate some Tatarian maple seeds but they will be a few years yet....
I'm going to make a couple of Turkish flight bows, one about 60# and one about 100#. A Turkish warbow  with dimensions from one of the old bows in the Topaki museum to see what weight they were shooting back in the day. I've got a hankering to try a Korean bow and a Crimean Tartar style as well.
I'll be busy for a while

[loon]

A Turkish warbow  with dimensions from one of the old bows in the Topaki museum to see what weight they were shooting back in the day.

That would be cool, and very interesting.

I've got a hankering to try a Korean bow and a Crimean Tartar style as well.

Have you seen the Korean warbows? Since they're wider limbed, they should be more stable. Hopefully they don't have to be so reflexed though..
https://imgur.com/a/9mYm3

[mikekeswick]

So my maple arrived and has worked out just right. I have got five sets of cores out of it and am currently soaking them in water prior to bending them.

[Aaron H]

Be sure to share some pictures of your progress Mike

[DC]

So my maple arrived and has worked out just right. I have got five sets of cores out of it and am currently soaking them in water prior to bending them.

You have green wood and you're still soaking it? Does it help that much?

[mikekeswick]

So my maple arrived and has worked out just right. I have got five sets of cores out of it and am currently soaking them in water prior to bending them.

You have green wood and you're still soaking it? Does it help that much?

Yes! It is essential to get the woods m.c. as high as possible. The wetter the outer fibers the less chance there is of having fibers break at the apexes of the bends. The fewer fibers that break the better when it comes to reducing the core for the horn/core gluing surface. This wood was green about two weeks ago, in two weeks the outer fibers have a significantly lower m.c. than when they are just cut. They were also cut before the sap really came up.
Aaron - Yes i'll take some pictures

I bent some tips sections for 5 piece cores from off cuts and bent the first pair of billets for a five piece core last night. They bent perfectly with no broken fibers. the 5 piece construction doesn't ask as much of the wood when bending as a 3 piece does. 3 piece cores have to be  just right to be bent successfully. I'll find out tomorrow

[BowEd]

Cool Mike.Sounds like your on the right path about bending that wood.

[gorazd]

Mikekeswick:
About your supply of maple in Austria - Does he sells wooden staves ? Can you provide the name/address of it ?