Combo1 or combo 2

[DC]

Which would be a better choice Osage backed Maple or Maple backed Osage?

[upstatenybowyer]

I would think Maple backed Osage cause Osage's got that wonderful elasticity in compression?

[DC]

I have had such limited experience with either. I made one Osage self bow and  have some strips of Hard Maple in my warm box. These are foreign wood to me

[RatherBinTheWoods]

If you are going to do it either way I would go maple backed Osage as I think the Osage backing could overpower a maple belly. Maple is a good backing wood but usually on lower weight bows up to about 40-45#. Hickory and bamboo are better for higher weights

[PatM]

If you are going to do it either way I would go maple backed Osage as I think the Osage backing could overpower a maple belly. Maple is a good backing wood but usually on lower weight bows up to about 40-45#. Hickory and bamboo are better for higher weights

 You'd have to know the numbers for Osage and Maple in tension to establish that Osage would be bad for a Maple belly.
 
Certainly Maple is good for much higher than 45 pounds.  Didn't Marc post a 130 pound recurve with a Maple backing?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Maple backed osage, no question about it.

[Bayou Ben]

I just started a bow with a maple backing and in researching I came across this thread ....
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=45024.0

[DC]

OK, if I need to I'll use Maple for backing. It's looking like the Osage slats I've got may be thick enough on its own.

[PEARL DRUMS]

If the osage is too thin you can add another lamination to it.

[Springbuck]

Absolutely maple-backed osage.

I haven't seen the amount of osage orange some of you have, but I've never seen an osage board I would trust to saw into a backing, or a live tree of the large handful I have seen.  Likewise, I've never seen much maple backed with, say, bamboo or hickory.   You COULD, I suppose, but it doesn't need it.

Hickory or bamboo- backed osage are such common, well tested combo's.  A well-chosen maple backing should be great.

[DC]

If the osage is too thin you can add another lamination to it.

Don't got no more spare Osage These are the last slivers. Offcuts from a couple of billets I got from Goat two years ago. I have one Osage stave but it's roughed out and there is no extra.

[Springbuck]

Well, how thick are they?

The plan needs to be to glue up the backed blank as close to finished thickness as possible so you don't scrape away all your osage, right?  Trust me, I've done that 2 dozen times with different stiff woods like ipe or black locust, ending up with barely 1/8" on the belly.

  I find that, as a starting point, if I have about 1-1/2" width, some Perry reflex or R/D, and lengths around 66-70" or so, the "stack" off the form rarely needs to be thicker than 1/2" midlimb.  Thicker only for low-stiffness wood like ERC (I assume yew?) or if you absolutely want to work fades down out of a handle.  I purposely cut any good belly wood I come to the fat side of 3/8" thick, and count on adding a powerlam.  Then a 1/8"-3/16" thick backing and I'm good.

 That also means your maple backing MAY need to be quite thin, so it will need to be the best quality wood and best grain you can find for a backing.  Lastly, back to basics from the TBB, if you are worried for some reason, add width if you can.  Nothing wrong with a 1-3/4" to 2" limb base on an osage bow, if you have the wood.  You can always narrow later.

[Dances with squirrels]

Geeze, I wouldn't use Osage if it had to be that wide.    

How thick are your Osage pieces?

[DC]

3/8"thick and 1 3/8" wide. I'm not expecting big weight, 35# would be nice. I would have to make the maple thin to get it to conform to the slightly wavy Osage.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Use two lams of maple and one osage for the belly. 1 3/8 is enough width to get all the weight you want.