Hey
I heard from somewhere about red maple being used as a bow wood. I am fully aware that yew, osage orange, and degame/lemonwood/lancewood are the most ideal woods for making a bow, but just how ideal is red maple as a bow wood?

Red maple works fine for a flatbow, not a welsh style longbow. a flatbow 2" wide near the handle, will have a pull weight similar to the density of the wood. if you are looking for a common hardwood for a bow, I would suggest Hickory. I have made a 62lb bow from Hickory and it shot very nicely. I would also suggest backing a bow made from maple, either with sinew, linen, or a harder wood such as hickory, osage, or lemonwood.

Bamboo or heavy silk cloth might be easier to get in Thailand than hickory or bodark wood. Either will make a first rate backing for your bow. Good Luck.

Curt

if you are going to be making bows you really need to check out The Traditional Bowyers Bible its a three volume set that you could get from your local library. The first volume has an explanation on alot of different types of wood you can use for your bow. I also agree on the flatbow for Red Maple.

i recently purchased that series of books and they are a treasure trove of information.