Maple

[BowEd]

I've gotten ahold of some rock maple boards that are dry and flat grain cut for turkish horn bows.Density test is around .70.Would I need to chase a ring since it's going to get sinewed anyway?

[davidjw]

I don't think it is needed, the bark side is usually on the belly of the bow anyhow, to avoid splinters in steam bending.  So it might help for that, but not necessary for resisting tension on the back of the bow.

[Stick Bender]

It's funny when I saw the title of your thread I got excited like a kid at Xmas maple is one of the woods that I have worked with a lot making furniture & one bow that's one of  my favorite white bow woods
I have no exsperience with your question other then reading Adams book but my guess would be sense he uses the belly for the back it would be a non issue, this is a maple stave that I flat sawed the back in hopes of making a composite pyramid bow over winter similar to the one in TBB not much to contribute but just chiming in on maple 

[BowEd]

Beautiful stave & good project Ritch.

[Stick Bender]

Maybe I think to much but was thinking about your thread Ed and with out going back to Adams book I was wondering really how much tension stress is actually on the so called back of the core  if 90 % of the tension is handled by 10% of the upper back ? It must be a non issue if chasing a ring was never mentioned unless I'm missing some thing I understand the thinking of trying to make every aspect of the build all it can be , but if I remember right I think Adam mentioned all though not recommended that you could use strait grained kiln dried lumber Rock maple but I was looking at some maple in the shop & man it looked like it would be difficult to chase a ring I know it can be done but above my pay grade at this point.

[BowEd]

Yes it's pretty hard to chase a ring on a board.Especially maple and a dried board.The sawmill cuts it at an angle most times.

[mikekeswick]

It doesn't matter in the finished bow but you need the single growth ring to be able to boil the core into shape at the start.
If the sinew is thick enough the core feels no tension on its back. If it did it would break regardless of the grain. The grain of the back of the core is always violated when shaping the core prior to sinewing.

[BowEd]

Thanks but now since the board attempts I've acquired through trade regular hard maple sapling and trunk wood lengths of 4' long and a good 1.5" wide and 1" thick pieces.
The boards were just way too much of a pain.