vine maple

PAPA BEAR · January 30, 2009, 02:33:00 PM

i grew up on the oregon coast and we had tons of vine maple up in the woods.very tough wood,couldn't break it if your life depended on it.only way was to twist it around until your arm gave out or the limb did.this stuff is very springlike when you pull it....question....anyone make bows out of this stuff ? would it be good bow material ?

thanks....larry

jonsimoneau · January 30, 2009, 02:35:00 PM

I think Ted Raptor said on another post that his son made a bow out of vine maple. You may want to get ahold of Ted and ask him about it.

PAPA BEAR · January 30, 2009, 02:41:00 PM

seems to me it would shoot arrows like a 7mm mag

PAPA BEAR · January 30, 2009, 02:44:00 PM

thanks jonsi

Don Batten · January 30, 2009, 02:48:00 PM

John Strunk said vine maple was his favorite bow wood now. He sent me a piece and I made a bow out of it. very narly but easy to work. Mine shoot nice and still has some set back it it.Don

BryanB · January 30, 2009, 03:46:00 PM

VM is a fantastic self-bow wood.
Mark and only use the tension side of the tree(facing up). If you look around you can find fairly strainght pieces. Files and rasps tend to work better than draw knives. The wood tends to have some tough swirly grain.
Good Luck,
Bryan

B M A · January 30, 2009, 04:08:00 PM

Vine Maple makes a very good bow. Spent some time this last weekend with John Strunk. One of the subjects we talked about was Vine Maple and how much he likes it. Easy to work. Give John a call, he can answer all your questions ab out vine maple.
Brock

Oregon Okie · January 30, 2009, 04:12:00 PM

ditto waht brock said. I talked to John too and he was definitely liking vine maple. He said he was using 2-3 inch diameter pieces and splitting in half .. (sawing actually) and using the tension side like said above. I'm going to look for a good piece soon.
Russ

Bjorn · January 30, 2009, 04:14:00 PM

John is a great VM master! He helped me do this one

Jim now in Kentucky · January 30, 2009, 05:06:00 PM

Chet Stevenson and friends were making bows ob VM in the 1940s, maybe '30s. He even made some arrows out of the kinky stuff--just for fun I assume. The picture I saw looked like you couldn't possibly shoot the arrow!

Jim

BigArcher · January 30, 2009, 10:14:00 PM

I often make bows from Vine Maple. It is plentiful out here in Washington. I does make a great bow but usually needs a steam bend or two to line everyting up.

The middle bow is vine maple with a little red stain. I is 80# at 28.

BigArcher

PAPA BEAR · January 30, 2009, 10:32:00 PM

thanks gang

Paul WA · January 30, 2009, 10:53:00 PM

It makes an excellent bow with above average cast, even quicker with a thin layer of sinew...PR