I've got a few 2 inch thick by 7 foot long maple slabs that have been stacked and drying in my basement since February 2017. I plan to build some live edge tables out of them this fall, but I have more slabs than I will need to to that. I was thinking of what else I could do with the excess stock, and figured I should try making my first bow. I've been shooting compound for about a year and a half, and love it, but why not try something new?

So, my questions are:

1. Is maple acceptable material to make a decent bow from?

2. What should I look for in the slab when picking one to cut staves out of it?

3. Is is ok that the slabs have been drying for over 2 years?

Any good videos or tutorials based on the material I'm working with and the tools I have listed below?

Tools I have:

Power: Table saw, band saw, planer, lathe

Hand: draw knife, various saws, hand planes, etc. Pretty much anything I would need to do the job.

Thanks in advance for your help!