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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: skeaterbait on July 30, 2017, 09:02:00 PM
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I was in Home Depot today and noticed, for the first time, that they have a small selection of maple lumber.
Does anyone know if what they carry in the stores would work for lamination's?
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I have found the stuff in my area to be a little soft although it's labeled "Acer saccharum".
However, I built some folding camp saws with some and they are holding up pretty good.
Give it a try and let us know what you think.
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What is the effect of softer? I would guess that it would only cause a lower draw weight?
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Soft maples will probably make low poundage bows just be sure your tillering is spot on.
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For glass bow? I'd think they'd work. The glass is doing almost all the work. Soft maple can't be softer than the foam cores in some high end limbs could it? Just guessing don't know for sure
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For glass bow? I'd think they'd work. The glass is doing almost all the work. Soft maple can't be softer than the foam cores in some high end limbs could it? Just guessing don't know for sure
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Yeah, for glass. I sometimes forget that y'all can't read my mind for the details I forget to type.
:dunno:
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Oh, we can read your mind alright if you would just take that ESP buffer off your head. :)
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Originally posted by monterey:
Oh, we can read your mind alright if you would just take that ESP buffer off your head. :)
Hey now, that's the upgrade, it used to be tin foil.
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:biglaugh:
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If you have a "Menards" near you, look to see if they stock random sizes of "hard maple". Our Menards around here stock it and I think it would be a better choice than the soft maple. With that being said, it would probably work between the glass!
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The maple is a small cost compared to glass, glue and riser wood. Go with hard maple if you can find it!
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I'm not a bow builder and know nothing about it, but sometimes we make the assumption that Red maple (soft maple) is very soft and that Sugar maple (hard maple) is always very hard. In general, one is harder than the other, but any given Red maple can be harder than any given Sugar maple and even the softest of "soft maple" is still harder than many hardwoods. Just saying.....
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It's not a matter of soft or hard but how the wood handles compression, tension and shear forces. I don't build glass bows but if I did I'd buy my lams from a reputable maker so I know they are compatible with the design I choose to make.
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Thanks for the education Pat. As I had said, I know little of bow building, but do know about wood. Just trying to learn as I consider the possibility of building my own bow (I've built 7 flintlock rifles and fowlers to date and this seems to be the logical next step).
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Gang, I understand where you are coming from. Often the red or "soft" maple has better figure than hard maple and can make a prettier gunstock.
Once it's under glass it's probably not going to make any difference. For figured veneers under clear glass the red maple might be a good source.
For a self bow I'd be looking for the hardest out there though. If you are going to do self bows or all wood lam bows there are many good choices out there.
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Acer sacharum IS hard maple....Anyway under glass it doesn't matter one jot even if it was a soft maple :) A lighter core is actually a great thing in a glass bow but there wouldn't be much difference.