2x4 IPE What size to cut?

[Kingstaken]

I have some 2"x4"x6' IPE. What size whould I cut down for bow staffs?

[Apex Predator]

I would recommend 1 1/4" wide by around 5/8" thick.  That will leave you enough handle thickness to build a "proud" island to glue a handle to.  You can go as narrow as an inch or less with ipe, but I have had limb twist issues with the narrow ones.

[Buckeyehunter]

I have made several bbi bows lately and have made most of them 1.5" wide at fades to .5" tips and have had less than .75" set in all of them.  The last one I made was 1.25" at fades to 3/8" tips and despite taking nearly 2" of set this bow shoots considerably harder than all others.  I generally start with .5" slats.

[Diamondback59]

i just sawed out about 75  of em  i cut all mine 1/2 thick ,,  1 1/ 4 to 1   1/2 wide   thats more n enough for ipe  and i usaly use a 1 / 8 backing of some sort  brock

[Kingstaken]

Do i cut parallel along the 1.5" edge?

[Chuck Hoopes]

I have read here and at other sites that ipe performs best If you keep em narrow ( 1- 1 1/14") and thicker.  I also have an ipe 2x4 -  I am cutting it in 5/8 thickness.    I saw,  last nite, on another site, an ipe/boo bow that was 69" 3/4" wide, that was a D in cross x- like an ELB,. It was a bow that flexed thru the grip.  It looked as thick as its width.  It was 65# @29. The guy said that w/ a FF string, 500gr. arrow, he hit 191 on the Chono.  What I take from this, is that narrow ipe is a good way to go, and likely a good deal of rounding in the belly might serve  a guy well-- At least that's what Iam going to try on my next one. (Think I'll forgo the bendy handle, for now) Be sure and wear a dust mask-- the stuff is toxic--and it is culumative -- you are going along fine, no sysmptoms, and than one day your body reaches a theshold and you are suddenly in a world of hurt-- as in under medical care for months.  If you get a sliver, get it out, right a way, -- They can really fester if ignored.