Draw Length Maple?

[tiknuttle]

I have a tillered down 50 inch piece of sugar maple. I think its sugar maple it smelled like maple syrup when i cut it? I was wondering what would be a safe draw length for a 40 lb. bow of this piece?

[JW_Halverson]

Usually I work from draw length to calculate the length of stave/bow.  Double the draw length plus 10-20% for a bow with a narrowed, nonbending handle.  Double the drawlength for a bend-thru-the-handle twyle bow. 

With that in mind, your stave would handle a 25" draw length if you utilize the whole thing, tip to tip, for working limbs.  If you wanna really push things (depending on your experience level), you could flip the tips, back with sinew or rawhide, make it a bit wider than normal, and try for a little overdraw.  Good luck.

[tiknuttle]

Thanks for the advice. I decrowned the stave and made it one single piece from the middle of the stave the (Heartwood). Also im going to fiberglass the back of the bow. Is it safe to say I could get 50 lbs. out of it?

[George Tsoukalas]

0.5x+5 =safe minimum draw length where x is the ntn distance. 0.5 (49)+5=20 in. That's for a rigid handled unbacked bow. If you back it and let it bend in the handle you can draw it further. May be 22-24 in depending on your tillering skills. Jawge

[JW_Halverson]

I think you could get 50# safely, but I don't think you are safe using the "F" word in here!!!!

[tiknuttle]

Yeah I know, I like to go totally primitive to, but this is looking like its going to be my first successful bow from a stave. I just want to back it so It will be less likely to break. my uncle has fiber glassed a bow he made from a cypress board and its almost unbreakable. So I figured it would be a wise decision to fiber glass the back since its a short bow. If I had enough sinew I would definitely use that instead.

[adb]

I wouldn't tiller a 50" stave past 24".

[JW_Halverson]

I have significantly more faith in a stave bow being drawn than a board bow.  If you are careful with your back, you should do just fine. 

[RyanY]

I just tillered a 48" stave to 28"  . I've never worked with sugar maple but since its short you'll probably need to make the limbs wider than usual. To get the most draw from it a bend through the handle bow would be best so you have more working limb but depending on your skill level it may or may not be difficult to make such a bow. I've seen more than a few short bows which bend through the handle that are twice as long as what they are drawn to so it can be done. Since its 50" you could at least get 25. Good luck.