I came across a contractor at work who was throwing away leftover maple gymnasium flooring today and I was wondering if this would make a bow if I backed it?
It's a full 3/4" thick 84" long and about 2 1/2" of useable width.

 

 

I have some bamboo or I can get some hickory to back it with, I would really like to try the bamboo with it.

If it is hard maple, it makes a fine bow. It looks like the grain is pretty straight, but I would be careful backing it with hickory or bamboo. I made one recently that developed crysals on the belly which I attribute to the back over powering the belly. I think rawhide might work better.

I'm 99% sure it's hard maple. I'm just going to try a BBM and see what happens, heck it was free right  

Be sure and make it wide. I would recommend 2" or so  at the wide parts of the limb.

If you have a good bandsaw, you can turn it on its edge and re-saw it. Then, you could get a couple of bows out of it!

Nice! The grain is excellent. That is a rift sawn board. All 3 cuts (rift, 1/4  and plain sawn) will make bows. More on my site. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

I wouldn't waste bamboo on that IMHO. If you do keep the boo super thin and trap it. But there are better backings more suited for maple like silk,rawhide,another slat of maple,or ash. Save the boo for better compression woods like osage,yew,ipe,jatoba,massaranduba etc..

Give maple backed maple a whirl

It does not look like maple??  :confused:

Well, I made a bow out of it... I had a 66" bow laid out and was just getting ready to start cutting when my 4 year old daughter walks up and says "IS THAT FOR ME??!!!"... I tell her no, it's another bow for daddy, she replies, "but you already have three!!!". SO, I cut a 36" piece off and made a maple backed maple with a cherry handle and tip overlays.

36" tip to tip, #15 at 15", jute wrapped handle with a built up arrow rest.

Nice job.

Great job!

Perfect solution to your question.... :^)...got to love the honesty of children!


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Glenn

Hell yea,
you dont really need another bow do you?

Thats coming from a guy who has 2 racks, shelf and underbed bows.

My wife is starting to wonder...

All the kudo's don't count until we see a picture of you princess holding her trophy. WE NEED MORE PICTURES      

You will be able to blame all future back problems to being wrapped around your daughters finger  

Nice work. Jawge

You did real good by the wood and the kid.  

Here she is giving her "bow shooting" face as she calls it...







She had to have her apron on... and she had to be in front of her art work wall  

     There's nothing better than a happy child.
Dave.

Too cute:)