Maple backed Osage

[Marc St Louis]

Been a few months since I worked on a bow, been busy making another one of these



But I got an urge to make one a couple weeks ago, I wasn't too sure what I was going to make though.  I started going through what I had in  my shop and came across a nice billet of Osage that was big enough, after sawing in half, for both limbs.  Here is what I made.

Bow is 64" overall, limbs are 1 3/8" wide with very little width taper for most of their length and have a shallow D section, backing is Sugar Maple.  It pulls about 52# @ 28".  I glued in 4 1/2" of reflex and it is maintaining over 2", so far.  It shoots really well, I am limited to shooting in my shop though.  Because it shoots so well I tried testing it for speed using a 510 grain arrow but was mostly getting errors, I did get 1 reading of 145 fps but it was on a short draw of about 26".  I had to stop because it was blowing through my stop and starting to punching holes in my back door, can't have that in the Winter.

Here are some pictures

[willie]

Very nice, Marc.,(the harp and the bow).
I remember another Canadian from a while back, that extolled the virtues of sugar maple as a backing. Do you think that some backings contribute more to good performance, than we usually give credit for?

[bushboy]

Lovely!beautiful profiles !

[bubby]

Great bend Mark and i love maple as a backer, willie you must be thinking of adb

[Marc St Louis]

Thanks guys. 

Could be that a backing that doesn't stretch much, like Bamboo, may have an edge in performance but I can't see it being much.

[Springbuck]

Goodness, Marc.   You do work as good as, or better than, any I ever have as if you are putting on your socks in the morning.....

How much do we reckon sugar maple stretches, really?  1% ?  Maybe 2%?  I mean, she took a tiny amount of set, so the backing must be stiff ENOUGH for the belly.

[Badger]

 I like that longer straight limb design mark, it really seems to make more sense on reflexed bows. I have been leaning that way lately.

[Badger]

I like that longer straight limb design mark, it really seems to make more sense on reflexed bows. I have been leaning that way lately.

  Question on your harp, are there only two different strings used on that?

[Stick Bender]

Beautiful Marc !

[Marc St Louis]

I like that longer straight limb design mark, it really seems to make more sense on reflexed bows. I have been leaning that way lately.

  Question on your harp, are there only two different strings used on that?

There are 5 different gauges and 3 different colours Steve.  There are 4 strings of .25 for the high notes, then 6 of .32, then 6 of .36, then another 4 of .40 and finally .50.  Then there are blue string for the F notes and reds for the C.  My wife is the musician, I just build them

[bjrogg]

Nice bend Marc.
Bjrogg

[upstatenybowyer]

There is something so absolutely pure about your work. All the bend is in the right places. It just astounds me every time. Thanks so much for posting 

[bubbles]

I thought at first we were going to see a maple and osage harp!      
Awesome bow.  An R/D is on my bucket list of bows to make and yours are an inspiration. 

[Selfbowman]

I can't carry a tune in a five gallon bucket. But I don't know which I like the best the harp or the bow. Very talented man. Arvin

[Marc St Louis]

Thanks guys

P.S. I made this bow left handed because I have had to switch from right to left to overcome my target panic situation, I think as was said in another thread, I've had too many bows break  .  Shooting left makes me focus more