Maple Lams

[Bow-cephus]

So if I made a set of r/d limbs for a take down long bow would maple be a good choice for lams?
I am wanting to use what I have so most of my taper will have to be from the sides and I have either hickory or red oak for the cores and then I have black walnut and hickory. I'm wanting to layer the core then the lams then glass backing.

Is this feasible or am I NUTS??  :eek:        

[BenBow]

Maple, walnut, and hickory are all good. Red oak would only be a last resort for me.

[Jason Scott]

I would want to use the maple and walnut. Maybe hickory vaneers if really thin because it is heavy with a lighter core wood. I don't hear of many people using oak for glass bow laminations. That's just me though. Maple has consistent grain and makes a good lam for glass bows. Walnut is great because of its consistency in weight and makes a quick and light limb.

[Jeremy]

More glass bows have been made with maple lams than any other material.  I'm partial to walnut lams as well - light and just as consistent as maple.

I'd shy away from oak lams b/c of the drastic differences in early and late wood.  Hickory is great for selfbows, but too heavy to use as lams in a glass bow, unless you're just using some figured stuff as thin veneers.  Same with osage for that matter.  my .02 anyway.

[Jason Scott]

Jeremy is right, more maple lams than any other. The only issue I know of with maple is to take all your lams for one bow out of the same piece so the weight will be the same. The next rough stock could be just as good for lams but the specific gravity could be lighter or heavier and the limbs could be hard to time. Walnut is more consistent than maple in that regard. Most bowyers make what is called a match book set anyways and that takes care of that. I don't know if you order your lams and if they send you matched book sets from the big suppliers but I'm sure KennyM does that for his shipments.

[kennym]

Good advice above!

I find I have to add .005 to .010 on total  walnut core to make weight.

All my lam pairs are cut side by side for stiffness and grain match.

Oh,I always thought hickory was heavy to use in a glass bow too, but there was one in the top few  of the WTT a year or so ago!!

[kennym]

Here is some reading on lam tests ....

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001491

[Robertfishes]

When you say maple we are talking about Hard Maple/Sugar Maple, not "soft" maple..right?? I have made 3 bows with Walnut veneers I got from KennyM, he has some nice walnut. I need to take better pics..  

[Bow-cephus]

Thanks guys you've talked me into it! I'll go with the walnut for lams and I guess the same for the core??? ANy input is appreciated!!!

[Jason Scott]

Yes, Hard Maple/Sugar Maple. As best you can get to it. There really isn't a strict policy lumber suppliers use to lable their stock and sometimes you may be getting a species that is not exactly sugar maple. Depending on where in the country you are buying and from what supplier. Unless of course you are shopping at a true hardwood supplier or cutting it down yourself. The hardest you can get, but bows have been made with the softer maples successfuly.

[Jason Scott]

Kenny, since you brought that thread up... I sure would like to see it continue. I really enjoyed that topic.

[Canadabowyer]

I use hard maple for lams and risers in all my prototype bows and it makes a very nice bow. I would highly reccomend it for new bowyers because it is easy to saw,grind and glue and is available almost everywhere. After you have a design you like and want to repeat is soon enough to experiment with other more expensive woods. Bob

[Bow-cephus]

Ok a couple for the maple then, and the rest are for walnut,,,, Oh so I'm not sure what to do. If I use maple cores and blk walnut lams with a glass backing>>> Would it work??

[Jason Scott]

It will work just fine.