Purpleheart

[Colt]

Has anyone made a backed bow with purpleheart for the belly?

What did you use for backing?

How tough would this be?

Does anyone have any photos?

[Pat B]

Hickory makes a good backing for purpleheart but PH is a brittle wood and susceptible to fretting if care isn't taken while tillering. Lots of folks use it as a core wood in multi-lam bows for the color mostly and it works good there.

[Allen Ziebarth]

I've made 3 or 4 bows with a purpleheart belly and a hickory backing. A few have survived.
Like Pat B said, it frets really bad on the belly.
I'm more inclined to use it in risers, or center lams anymore.

[Colt]

I have a 26" draw. If I make the bow 68" NTN and and make it wide, say 1 3/4" at fades through mid limb, while keeping it around 45 lbs, would it work?

[Allen Ziebarth]

I would think that would work. But it really depends on the grain of the purpleheart, and the poundage that you make the bow.
My last one I made was 65" 50# at 28".
Shot beautiful, but started fretting on the belly where the grain ran through from back to belly.
Of course that bow was only 1 1/2" wide  at the fades, with a straight taper to 1/2 inch tips, so it was fairly heavily stressed.