1/4 sawn maple
I bought this 8 foot board of eastern hard maple yesterday. it's a 1x6, dressed to 3/4 by 5 1/2. I looked through about 30 pieces before finding this one. Most were plain sawn with intense grain swirls. I had set a couple of those aside, which appeared to come from a straight-ish section of tree, thinking at leat i could use the rift sawn wood on either side of the boards' centers.
This board was reduced to 3 pcs 32" long (for leverage when bending, i let each one be longer) and each of those will yield 3 core laths. 1 extra, and it's probably the one with the tiny knot.
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Now, i know i'm not supposed to use kiln dried wood for this: The bending stress is considerable. Should i reserve these pieces for 5 piece construction?
Also, i know that in typical hornbow construction, the grain orientation is usually flat-sawn rather than rift or quarter. The best board bows i've made had grain like in these maple boards. I guess i'll have enough for four bows: That's four different possibilities for trying it.
This board was reduced to 3 pcs 32" long (for leverage when bending, i let each one be longer) and each of those will yield 3 core laths. 1 extra, and it's probably the one with the tiny knot.
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![[external image]](http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Horn%20Bows/stuff059.jpg){kind=link}
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![[external image]](http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Horn%20Bows/stuff057.jpg){kind=link}
Now, i know i'm not supposed to use kiln dried wood for this: The bending stress is considerable. Should i reserve these pieces for 5 piece construction?
Also, i know that in typical hornbow construction, the grain orientation is usually flat-sawn rather than rift or quarter. The best board bows i've made had grain like in these maple boards. I guess i'll have enough for four bows: That's four different possibilities for trying it.
No problems with limb twisting because of the grain orientation?
i guess we'll see. If i select pieces only long enough for use in 5 piece construction, i think i'll be able to be pretty picky and get good straight wood.
In the other bows, so far no sign of twist. Quartersawn white oak yields a very stable bow, but its limbs should be at least 1 3/4 inches wide. Obviously the application is very different. I meant hickory and white oak selfbows.
In the other bows, so far no sign of twist. Quartersawn white oak yields a very stable bow, but its limbs should be at least 1 3/4 inches wide. Obviously the application is very different. I meant hickory and white oak selfbows.
Radius I would suggest following the advice in Adam's book TO THE LETTER. I also thought I could get away with little changes, every slight deviation from what he said came to bite me on the ass! These are tricky customers not like a wood bow which can be thrown together in an afternoon. Plain sawn wood is more stable laterally. You will need as much inherant stability as possible.
You must have some young maple growing over there somewhere? I watched a few mantracker programmes (set in BC)and there was maple everywhere.... :D
You must have some young maple growing over there somewhere? I watched a few mantracker programmes (set in BC)and there was maple everywhere.... :D
there's vine maple 5 minutes from here, in a ravine nobody uses except bums. Being in the middle of Vancouver, it's a bit of a sump, but the slopes are steep so the runoff is good. The trees seem healthy. I made a bow from a vine maple stave i got there. But vine maple is too warbly. i'd have to cut a whole tree for one or maximum 2 decent 36" logs. There are several kinds of maple around here, you are correct. Of them, vine maple is the bow wood. We've got dogwood, but i haven't found any in a secluded spot yet!
I'm going to go with the maple. i've had good success with 1/4 sawn wood in the past, although not in this application. That was with aseries of wide limbed white oak flatbows made from a couple good boards. This one, i'm going to work the wood with the presumption that all will go well. after that, we'll see
i primarily want experience and skill in using the forms, cutting the splices, and i don't mind spending time and money in gaining them. Trust me, if i lived on the east coast i'd go cut some eastern maple myself.
I wonder about rowan. do you think it would make a good core wood?
I'm going to go with the maple. i've had good success with 1/4 sawn wood in the past, although not in this application. That was with aseries of wide limbed white oak flatbows made from a couple good boards. This one, i'm going to work the wood with the presumption that all will go well. after that, we'll see
i primarily want experience and skill in using the forms, cutting the splices, and i don't mind spending time and money in gaining them. Trust me, if i lived on the east coast i'd go cut some eastern maple myself.
I wonder about rowan. do you think it would make a good core wood?
Pity that shipping is so bloody much to canada or I would send you all the plain sawn maple you could use as well as mulberry,I am going to be facing the same problem as you when I move back to canada in about a month with mulberry as it is easily available here in ohio.
whereabouts in canada?
I will be moving to toronto.
well have fun there, man. I've never been to Toronto, except the airport. Are you moving for work? Are you a Canadian or an American? And one last question, aren't you the man who has horn plates available as well?
all the horn I have left is for myself now and I am a canadian so I am moving back.