In the back yard of my parents house there is a maple tree that I have played on since I was 6, ya I still climb it now and then (age 22). My old man wants to build a garge and has to cut this tree down. I have been thinking about some thing I could do with the wood, ya know somthing to rember it by, and today it hit me a bow. Is it posible, this old guy is a monster of a tree about 3 ft thick at the base and relativly straight.
What would I do to go about preparing the wood, just let it dry out right. How big of a peice do I want to get out of it. Is it posible to use maple for a bow, I know how hard it is to work with. I have all the sites that you guys gave me the last time I asked about making a bow but didnt find anything about these first steps.

Thanks

Chris