I,m making my first bow and have a nice maple sapling does maple work well Im trying to make a 62 inch recurve
I dont know how it would turn out as a recurve but I have had good success with maple in a longbow i made a few years back
It depends on which maple you have. Sugar(hard)maple or vine maple will give you a nice bow. Red maple or other softer wood maples will not.
Its a manitoba maple or box elder
Box Elder is pretty soft wood. Make it as long as you can and wide. Good luck!
thanks if this maple does,nt turn out I have some willow and oak drying
Koop,
Is the willow you have in Canada the same as we have here in Mississippi?
Box Elder and willow will only disappoint you, find some hard maple(sugar or black), elm, red oak, or Hophornbeam(ironwood)
don,t no what kind of willow it is. made many a bow when i was younger its just got long straight branches. have,nt had time to go out and buy the right wood so i,m experimenting with what grows in my bushes