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Author Topic: Hard maple or not?  (Read 2022 times)

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Offline Jakesnyder

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Hard maple or not?
« 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?
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Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #1 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.
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" To be, or not to be"...decisions, decisions, decisions.

Offline Jakesnyder

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #2 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.
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Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2018, 06:21:12 am »
Sounds like a harder type of maple if it isn't at least sugar maple.
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" To be, or not to be"...decisions, decisions, decisions.

Offline DC

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #4 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.
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Offline Jakesnyder

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #5 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
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Offline DC

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #6 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
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Offline bjrogg

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2018, 11:08:01 am »
My first thought was sugar maple.
Bjrogg
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Offline Jakesnyder

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #8 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.
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Offline bushboy

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2018, 08:32:05 am »
You could make a mini bow and  do a bend test.
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Offline Jim Davis

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #10 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.
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Jim Davis

Kentucky--formerly Maine

Offline PatM

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #11 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,
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Offline Greenriverwoodcraft

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #12 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
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Offline Jakesnyder

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Re: Hard maple or not?
« Reply #13 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
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