Workinh Vine maple

[JonW]

 I know a lot of people like this stuff but I don't think I am one of them. I liken it to trying to rasp and scrape a sweater or a piece of string cheese  Even sandpaper will bring up stringy fibers. What the heck?

[DC]

I noticed the same thing with Douglas Maple. Sharp tools are a necessity but even then it kind of fuzzes compared to other woods. Scraper works not to bad.

[High-Desert]

Vine Maple is possibly the worst wood I have ever worked. I absolutely love the stuff, but it works terrible. It's just as bad when turning, but it is quite a good looking wood if you can avoid tear outs. Avoid any sort of blade, and when using rasp, it seems to be picky with way direction you rasp, and that direction is not consistent.

[osage outlaw]

Just wait until you go to sand it.  With every coat of sealer you will find 5 new file marks that you missed.

[wizardgoat]

Makes a killer bow, but those grain swirls will drive you nuts. i made a bow from VM cut in Oregon and it was much nicer than the stuff I have around me. For whatever reason. Some guys say Shinto rasps work better

[JonW]

Just sanding the belly and sides is giving me fits. Sandpaper literally lifts the grain and tears up long fibers. I can tell it is good dense wood but working it sucks. I won't give up on it though. Ryan this piece came from you and found me somehow.

[Badly Bent]

I've only done one vm bow and that was 20 years ago so I forgot what little I may have learned from it. Keep at it killer,
in the end I'm betting it is no match for your skills.

[vinemaplebows]

I use a spindle sander after roughing. You won't have any of those issues....unless your a purist.

[wizardgoat]

Wow I really don't remember sending you that!

[Weylin]

I like to use a microplane on vine maple. My farrier's rasp does pretty well too. I haven't had trouble sanding it though. Except like Cint said about the tool marks sneaking past you. That seems to happen a lot.  Vine maple is a pain to work but it's owrth it in my opinion. After I make a couple of vine maple bows I always go back and make a yew bow just to sooth my nerves and remind myself what it's like to work with a friendly wood.

[JonW]

I am NO purist for sure! I normally use a belt sander for 100% of the work after roughing out the bow. When I hit this piece of wood with my sander it looked like cotton balls all stuck to the belt so I thought I would go old school on it to see if I remembered how. I quickly remembered why I don't like hand tools  Ryan you didn't send it to me. Patrick was a little concerned with the 10 inches of reflex it had and asked if I would like to try it. I took it down to 4 inches and proceeded. Guys I'm really just whining. The last two bows I made were yew. Obviously you know what the difference is in working the two. I'm ready for some yella wood.....

[osage outlaw]

I like how white VM is in color.  It looks good with a dark skin on it.  The next black racer skin I get I'm going to save it for a VM bow. 

Keep at it Jon.  You will get it smoothed out eventually.

[Bryce]

Sharpen your tools!
Anything courser than 100 grit will sometimes bring up the string cheese.

[Gordon]

What Weylin said - use a microplane on this wood.

[bushboy]

I had a real tough time trying to take the kinks out of it,memory like a elephant so they say.it remains one of my ufo's.