IPE/Boo Layout

[bigcountry]

I have cut my IPE to 1 3/8" wide and 5/8 thick slats.

I am not sure of a good layout.  I am thinking of 6" handle, but not sure what to do after that.

I am going to be using a power lam under the boo 1/8 thick tapering to the fades.

I guess I am not sure what to to about the belly tapers and limb tapers.  So my handle will be anywhere 1" to 1.25" wide.  

Can anyone give me some good dimensions?

[Pat B]

I would put a 4" handle in the center, 1 1/2" fades and a straight taper to 3/8" tips.  64" to 66" t/t

[bigcountry]

Thanks Pat.  Holy cow, I didn't know flattening the boo would be so difficult.  My 4" bend sander is cryin.  With the boo trying to deflex makes it difficult.

[No-sage]

I just flattened a piece of bamboo this afternoon on my belt sander.  I usually just hand plane it flat because the deflexing causes a problem, but I modified my sander and was able to get it done easily.  Took 15 minutes tops.

In the picture you can see a piece of white plastic I attached to the dust collector port on the sander:

 

It's really just a homemade miter fence for my tablesaw.  The white part goes in the groove on the table.  It allows you to flex the bamboo so that only one section touches the sander bed at a time.

Here's a pic of how I used it:

 

With the push block holding the bamboo to the sanding belt, the miter guide keeping the bamboo propped up, and me flexing the back of the bamboo up off the sander, I was able to control just where I wanted to remove the material.  The bamboo only touched under the push block, and I didn't sand off any skin...... this time.  

[eaglefeather]

Hey BIG"C" gonna have to call ya the mad bow maker before long,I"m have"n trouble keepen up with ya projects.just joken!EF

[bigcountry]

Thanks No sage.  great idea.  Didn't think of it.

I grinded for over 50 min straight.  The boo is very thick however.  Well over 1/4".

Eagle, I ain't finishing any, just have 4 in the works.  I think I just like starting em.

[chrisg]

Interesting specs Pat, that is just about exactly the specs of my last bow mine was 67" it draws 56# has a bit of mild hand shock, the belly was too flat or else I have too much reflex. It is nice and shoots hard and I like it. Arrows are just about 9.4gr/" which is light, I prefer more than ten gr/". I don't have a chrono, but it likes carbon arrows. I would think cane arrows too if I had any left.
chrisg

[bigcountry]

Oh, A guy at work gave me a 6" joiner.  I found the tool to flatten boo.  15 min, I got her down to a knife edge.  I will finish off with a new belt on my sander after I cut out the bamboo profile to the core.

[Pat B]

You should cut the profile before you reduce the thickness of the boo or your tips will be thick.

[mattfromuk]

I wish I'd read Pats message before my first glue-up! Cut to shape, then realised my boo was thicker than my wood for about 10 inches at the tips! Prone to failure, and it did!  :-)

[bigcountry]

Originally posted by mattfromuk:
I wish I'd read Pats message before my first glue-up! Cut to shape, then realised my boo was thicker than my wood for about 10 inches at the tips! Prone to failure, and it did!  :-)

I didn't follow Pat's tip either and wish I did.  It worked out for me, but triming the bamboo down on the side with such thin stuff was extreme fragile.  One splinter and its all over.

I since have watched dean torgues video and it basically helped confirm what I learned plus a few tricks.