Core lam.

[wood carver 2]

I've been planning to build a tri-lam recurve with bamboo for the back and belly and a tapered hardwood core lam, but I'm not sure what wood will take the curve near the tips without breaking. I would like to use maple. The area with the most extreme curve will be about 1/16 of an inch thick. Can it be pre bent using dry heat before glue-up? I am planning to bend the bamboo to the curve as well and I think that I'll add a thin tip wedge for the last 6 or 8 inches.
Dave.

[Bowjunkie]

Yes, prebending them with heat can be done and tends to make the limb act more static than those simply held in shape by the glue up. Depends on what kind of limb action you want I guess.

[wood carver 2]

It might be better if the tips are a little stiff. This bow will likely take a fair bit of set and I don't want the tips to flatten out.
I hope it works out.      
Dave.

[Roy from Pa]

I do that all the time with 1/4" Osage.

[wood carver 2]

I was just unsure if maple could take an extreme bend without breaking. I want to use maple because I have it in the riser and anything else might look funny.
I will be doing the glue-up in stages so a failed limb won't be a big problem.
Dave.

[mikkekeswick]

It is not the species more that the grain is straight.

[die_dunkelheit]

How much of a bend are we talking about? As thin as you mention could be heat or steamed into a circle. Just use a fiberglass lam or a piece of flashing as a backer when you bend it so it won't break or lift any grain.

[KenH]

Standard recurve type curve?  1/8" maple should take that bend without any problem.  But wet or dry preshaping will certainly help things along and give hone those skills.

[Wolftrail]

Originally posted by wood carver 2:
I was just unsure if maple could take an extreme bend without breaking. I want to use maple because I have it in the riser and anything else might look funny.
I will be doing the glue-up in stages so a failed limb won't be a big problem.
Dave.

I use maple all the time, most older FG recurves used maple as the core.  And I can easily bend dry hard rock Maple with a heat gun.

[wood carver 2]

Thanks guys. I'll be starting the limbs as soon as the weather gets better. It's supposed to be pretty nice on the weekend.
Dave.

[LittleBen]

For my pressure strips I use either hard maple or white oak because I know they will take whatever bend I need them to.

So yeah, maple will definately bend as you need.