Hickory backed ipe

[tarheel bower]

I have the materials to build my first BBI and would like to know a few things before starting.I'm wanting it to be 66" 50# @ 28. My first question is how far down the fades should I start my taper. How long should the handle be. Should the hickory backing thickness taper toward the tips or does it stay 1/8" the full length?

[JamesV]

I didn't taper my hickory backing, made my riser 15" long and started the taper at the fades. Best to cut the fades into the limb to keep the riser from poping off with too much stress at the fades if you are using a non bending riser. This bow will have to have a narrow profile to get the poundage you want. They are sweet shooters.

James........................

[okie64]

You dont need to taper the backing. Another option instead of cutting the fades into the limbs as James said would be to put a powerlam about 4 inches longer than your handle between your back and belly.

[tarheel bower]

When you say cut the fades into the limb,I should start the taper where my handle ends?

[vanillabear?]

[Pat B]

The fades are the transition between the non bending handle and the bending limbs so the taper starts at the handle and goes  down to the limbs. The back profile taper should mimic the side profile taper at the fades.
  Hickory backed ipe makes an excellent bow. Keep your hickory backing about 1/8" or slightly less and make your limbs narrower than you would think. 1 1/4" to 1 3/8" is plenty wide for ipe.
  I set my bows up symmetrically, meaning the center of the handle is the center of the bow. From that center point I go out 2" each side for the handle and 1 1/2" to 2" our each side of the handle for the fades.
  Don't shape your handle area yet. Leave it thick and wide. You don't need a finished handle for tillering and you can use that area for clamping the bow while working on it. Also you can make adjustments to string allignment there if needed later. I do the same with the last 5" to 6" of the tips. Don't need them narrowed with overlays to tiller.

[okie64]

If you use a powerlam instead of cutting the fades into the limbs you can plane or sand your piece of ipe down thinner before glue-up. You can do it either way. I think its easier to put a powerlam in and it makes a little nicer lookin riser.

[tarheel bower]

I really appreciate all the advice, I will hopefully post the pictures soon.

[tarheel bower]

When shaping or tillering belly wood in this case(ipe) should I taper the belly toward the tips, or should the thickness stay the same the full lenght of the limb?

[Pat B]

The limbs will have to taper no matter what. Either from the sides or from the belly. A lot depends on your intended front profile shape.

[bigcountry]

Your going to have to taper some.  Even with a pure pyramid design.  If it was me, I would start my taper  right after the fades.  That way, you can always go back and take some of the material out of the fades area to get it bending into the fades some.  But if you take it out now, you might not have that option later.

Last one I put together, I tapered right after teh fades from 5/8" to 1/2" at the tips.  In the end, I had thier wierd transition at the fades that worked but didn't look nice.  If I had it to do over, I would have worked the fades into into the limbs gracefully so it would have smooth lines but would have kept a stiff handle.

[tarheel bower]

I'm trying to crawl before walking,so my profile will be as simple as possible. 1 1/4" wide out to 12" from tips and then taper to 3/8". Will this work? I'm open for suggestions before I get started.

[Pat B]

That will be a good start. If you find the belly is getting too thin as you tiller start working on removing wood from the sides of the limbs.