Author Topic: vine maple . and whats the best style bow to make from it does it need backing?  (Read 9916 times)

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Offline rockrush69

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Hi . I am recieving my first vine maple stave tomorrow and i have no idea what kind of bow to buid . ( flatbow.longbow.selfbow..or backed bow sinew or rawhide ect.) Help please ! Also is it better to just peel off the bark ? Or throw it in the shaVing horse and chase a ring on the back . Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline Pat B

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Wait until you get the stave. It will tell ou what it wants to be.
 Just peel the bark and use the ring under it for your back.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline stickbender

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     What does Vine Maple look like?   ???  Where does it grow, and what kind of soil, shade, sun, etc.?

                                                       Wayne

Offline rockrush69

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Its a white wood . It grows along side of yew . I got it from washington state . And it seemed to be shaded from the larger trees it grew around
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline stickbender

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     Thanks Rockrush69.  Does it have a maple like leaf?  Do you know if it grows in Montana?

                                                                      Wayne

Offline rockrush69

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Go to you tube and search " hunting the elusive yew" that is the guy i buy from .and i. That video near the end of it he shows ya vine maple growing . Its a tall skinny tree . Also u could just search vine maple on youtune ... or google vi emaple and you area . You should be able to aquire a complete list of trees in your are from google . I got 2 yew staves and a vinemaple stave for 150$ total price . From medicine bow woods . You should really just look him up and give him a call . He not only sellls good staves super cheap . But is a nice old man who will answer any questionsand is a master bowyer himself . I was on the phone with him for close to an hour both times we talked . He is very wise ... right up there with ed scott
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline steve b.

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What Pat B. said.

I've only built a few VM but I've played around with it and tested it some.  Every piece is different but in general I treat it about like hickory or slightly smaller as far as dimensions and potential "set".
You'll have a hard time chasing a ring.  Some will say you can violate the back and not worry.  I would not.  If I violate it I back it.
VM responds to heat but sometimes it will fight you or spring back to original, eventually, but not always.

Offline rockrush69

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Thank you steve b.
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline Bryce

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I have made many VM bow most had violated backs. Vm is so tension strong. I never put backing on any of them. I little bit wider is better than too narrow.
 How long is the stave?

My favorite for VM is a stiff 4" handle. 60"-62" nock-to-nock 1 5/8" wide. Flatbow.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2013, 10:09:23 pm by Bryce (Pinecone) »
Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline Blacktail

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DONT USE A DRAW KNIFE..maybe in the VERY beginnng BUT you will see that it can tear out alot of wood in the areas of swirly grain or rings...i would say use a hatchet then go to a rasp....and if you have been working osage alot then you might want to take your time with vm (softer wood)...and do what Mr.Bryce said..makes a great profile for vm...john

Offline Bryce

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Not sure how many bows youve made.
Maybe give yourself and extra couple inches. 64-66"

Just carefully peel the bark off and there's you back. If you nick it. No big deal sand it out and continue on.
Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline rockrush69

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Wow guys thank you so much for all the greT tips !!!! I wS anning o. Doi g a thi. Layer of rawhide with gelati. Glue just as a precotio ary measure due to the huntin g i do with my bows .  Will that be ok ??? I just like doing it . I even do it to yew lon gbows just for protection as ishi said to do ..
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline steve b.

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Of course.  You can rawhide back anything, when in doubt.

Offline rockrush69

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Have any of you used a dog rawhide bo e for backing a bow ... i did it last night . I soaked it till it came part ... and used gelatin glue . ( knoks gelatin. And hot water) then tied the whole bow every quarter i ch with jute today it looks good ... but we will see . :) speKing of jute ... can you make a bowstring from it ???
JESSE "HALF CHEROKEE" RUSH
The rabbit lost his tail cause the fox tricked him and told him to stick it thru the ice to catch fish he became stuck and the bear snatched him out by his ears leaving his bushy tail behind and streching his long ears... Cherokee story "how the rabbit lost his tail" :)

Offline aaron

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dog bone rawhide is OK, but a little thick for bowmaking.
I have made many VM bows, some rawhide backed. I use goat or deer. goat is almost too thin. Deer is great.
 It's hard to debark VM without some minor back violations, so rawhide is a nice insurance policy, and if thin does not add too much weight.
my favorite VM design is a 60 inch bendy handle design. widest at the handle- 1 3/8. gradual narrowing to 3/8 nocks- i use back nocks, tie on knocks.
the back usually has some "roller coaster" undulations- follow them with the belly.
post pics of the stave and we'll help you through it if you want.
Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"