Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: eastcreekarchery on October 22, 2020, 10:50:41 pm

Title: Maple selfbow?
Post by: eastcreekarchery on October 22, 2020, 10:50:41 pm

Will maple make a good selfbow? I want to cut down a sapling and make a bow from it.

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Jurinko on October 22, 2020, 11:12:47 pm

Absolutely. Maple is excellent bow whitewood.

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Deerhunter21 on October 22, 2020, 11:31:12 pm

depends. Hard maple or sugar maple makes a good bow... the soft maple and curly maple doesnt

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Fox on October 22, 2020, 11:37:59 pm

Isn’t hard maple and sugar maple the same thing ?... but yeah sugar maple is said to be good , and soft maples like red and such could probly make a bow. Just make it long and wide. A good heat treat would likely be good on both hard and soft maple .

-Fox

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: bownarra on October 23, 2020, 01:27:04 am

Hard maple and sugar maple are the same tree :) - Acer saccharum

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Jakesnyder on October 23, 2020, 05:30:43 am

Black maple makes a good bow too. (Acer nigrum) a subspecies of sugar maple. Its very distinct if you find some. Its not called black maple for nothing. ;)

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Eric Krewson on October 23, 2020, 08:20:25 am

I make flintlock gunstocks out of maple, red can be hard or softer, sugar is harder on average but can be soft as well. Silver maple would be useless as a bow wood. Like I have stated before trees are trees, where they grow depends on how they turn out. I have cut osage as soft as poplar or as hard as a rock, different trees different places.

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: eastcreekarchery on October 23, 2020, 10:36:04 am

The tree i have in mind is a sugar maple or rock maple

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Deerhunter21 on October 23, 2020, 12:02:53 pm

Quote from: bownarra on October 23, 2020, 01:27:04 am

Hard maple and sugar maple are the same tree :) - Acer saccharum

sorry i meant, "hard maple, also known as sugar maple" when i said "hard maple, or sugar maple"

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: vinemaplebows on October 24, 2020, 07:23:55 pm

Quote from: Eric Krewson on October 23, 2020, 08:20:25 am

I make flintlock gunstocks out of maple, red can be hard or softer, sugar is harder on average but can be soft as well. Silver maple would be useless as a bow wood. Like I have stated before trees are trees, where they grow depends on how they turn out. I have cut osage as soft as poplar or as hard as a rock, different trees different places.

That sir is a statement of lots of trees under your belt. I could not agree more. I cut figured woods and staves for years, and there can be variations, that's for sure!

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Eric Krewson on October 25, 2020, 07:42:50 am

Lots, I don't know how many, I wish I had kept a log book, I am guessing 250-300 osage staves and billets, probably more as well as a handful of hickories. I have given a ton of staves away to my bow making buddies, almost everything I cut in the last 10 years.

I have a few sitting around for future use, a bad neck has me out of bow making and shooting at the present but getting it fixed is on my agenda.

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: Lumberman on October 25, 2020, 08:32:29 am

I have made one soft maple bow but backed it.  Imo soft maple worked Well under compression and was pleasant to work with

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: vinemaplebows on October 30, 2020, 10:00:15 pm

Quote from: Lumberman on October 25, 2020, 08:32:29 am

I have made one soft maple bow but backed it.  Imo soft maple worked Well under compression and was pleasant to work with

Bigleaf maple (west coast/soft maple) will make a decent bow backed, look for larger ringed trees.

Title: Re: Maple selfbow?
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 31, 2020, 07:53:02 pm

Sugar maple will do just fine. Jawge