Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 03:42:31 am

Title: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 03:42:31 am: I cut a maple down when I first ventured into bow making. I dont know if by the bark someone could tell me if it's hard maple or not? Is soft maple ok to use if its backed or or is the issue with soft maple in compression?
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Hrothgar on September 07, 2018, 05:16:30 am: It looks like you have a sapling since the bark is smooth, and that makes it a little more difficult to identify. Are the growth rings tight or wide, can you make an indentation in the wood by pressing hard with your thumb nail? These factors might help ID your tree.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 06:15:15 am: It has tight growth rings and it doesn't indent very easily with my fingernail. When I split it the wood is kind of shiny looking if that helps at all.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Hrothgar on September 07, 2018, 06:21:12 am: Sounds like a harder type of maple if it isn't at least sugar maple.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: DC on September 07, 2018, 09:34:26 am: Where are you and what is the most predominant maple in your area? That's your best bet for identifying unknown Maple.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 10:03:44 am: I live in Pennsylvania. I would say it's a toss up between sugar maple and red
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: DC on September 07, 2018, 10:08:49 am: You could go back to where you cut it and take an educated guess or just make a bow out of it. :D :D
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: bjrogg on September 07, 2018, 11:08:01 am: My first thought was sugar maple.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 06:09:35 pm: Ok I'm going to go with DC's advice and make a bow out of it and see what happens. Its 62" long. I am going to try a bendy handle 1.5" at center then fading to .75 at nocks. Does that sound like a safe design? My draw length is about 24-25in.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: bushboy on September 08, 2018, 08:32:05 am: You could make a mini bow and do a bend test.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jim Davis on September 09, 2018, 12:04:10 pm: Quote from: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 06:09:35 pm
Ok I'm going to go with DC's advice and make a bow out of it and see what happens. Its 62" long. I am going to try a bendy handle 1.5" at center then fading to .75 at nocks. Does that sound like a safe design? My draw length is about 24-25in.

1.5 at the handle sounds good. 1/2" at the nocks is plenty. With your draw length, this stave should make a bow.
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: PatM on September 09, 2018, 05:05:09 pm: Quote from: Jakesnyder on September 07, 2018, 10:03:44 am
I live in Pennsylvania. I would say it's a toss up between sugar maple and red

I would think Sugar Maple. Both are smoother when young but Red Maple always seems to be a bit smoother,
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Greenriverwoodcraft on September 09, 2018, 07:02:33 pm: If I had to guess I would say sugar maple, and I have a ton around me and this looks just like a young one
Title: Re: Hard maple or not?
Post by: Jakesnyder on September 10, 2018, 06:27:10 am: Yea I'm pretty sure it is. I started working it down and it is about as dance as hickory and is pretty thin before it's starting to want to lbend