Author Topic: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip  (Read 1250 times)

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Offline IrishJay

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Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« on: October 10, 2019, 06:46:32 pm »
I posted a few days ago about the mill site I found to harvest slabs from. One of the pieces I got there is Sugar Maple, I want to make a flat bow with flipped tips from it. But tip flipping is something I've had no luck with so far, I always end up splitting the belly. In the past I've always attempted it with dry heat, but now I have a nice setup to either steam or boil this piece.

So my laundry list of questions is,
1) What heating method is best for hard maple?
2) What length from the tip should I be bending?
3) What thickness should I rough the tips out to?
4) What angle should I bend them to?

As always any knowledge shared is greatly appreciated.

Jay.
"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline Woodely

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Re: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2019, 06:55:31 pm »
You can use dry heat successfully if you thin down the tip section to get more bend and glue on an overlay later.   Never tried steam but probably better than dry heat.
"Doing bad work is an exercise in futility, but honestly making mistakes is trying your best."

Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2019, 07:20:02 pm »
Dry heat is fine for the tips. Bend them while they are thick enough not to bend when finished but thin enough not to crack. Floor tiller stage or just beyond. Maple is persnickety about heat bending, but doable.
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Offline PatM

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Re: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2019, 07:42:23 pm »
Soak the tips for a couple of days and then boil them before bending.

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2019, 07:53:45 pm »
Any thoughts on thickness? I'm thinking 3/8 to 1/2. Target draw is around 40lbs.
"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sugar/Rock Maple Tip Flip
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2019, 10:41:59 pm »
Roughed out and one tip soaking. I can vouch for the nickname Rock maple, just making the two scalloped cuts for the handle pretty well fouled my jigsaw blade.

"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear