Bamboo backed ipe

[Don Armstrong]

I've got a piece of ipe and a backing of bamboo coming. I have made maybe 20 selfbows and eight glass bows but never worked with bamboo or ipe. I will use a dust mask. I would like to induce some reflex or maybe try to recurve the tips when gluing up. I am thinking of doing a power lam, mostly for looks. On the osage backed hickory I've made, I tapered the osage board 5/8" at fades to 3/8" at tips and then glued the backing with reflex. Would this work on the ipe.
What length and width for a 50 @ 28" bow.
How thick should the bamboo be in the middle after tapering. Thanks, Don

[macbow]

Hi Don, I'm sure there will be some good info coming along. I put reflex/deflex in my BBI bows. I always use a power lam. I like it to be a inch or so longer than the handle maybe a bit more.
For me the main reason to use one is to have control of where it will start bending outside the handle and fades.
It helps keep the handle from popping off.
A 3/8 inch thickness of IPE should bring you close. I usually start at 66 inches and shorten it as I decide later.
I don't taper before glue up.
My form is nothing more than a 2x4 and a 2x6 and some spacer blocks.
My end blocks are about 5 1/2 to 6 inches high center 4 inches and mid limbs about 3 1/2 inches.
 Ron

[Pat B]

Ipe doesn't react well to heat bending so any curves you put into the bow will have to be relatively gentle and added at glue up. You can however kerf the tips parallel to the back and belly and glue in a recurve. You will probably have to add a spline to it to fill the kerf.

[fujimo]

when using bamboo backing i taper the  belly wood sides and then taper the bamboo backing sides- a bit oversize- that is so that i can get a nice thin taper towards the tips on the backing.
you just have to make sure that at glue up, nothing sliups- whicjh is real easy for me with urac, and my stationary rubber band form- because i can control it all the way through the process- i geuss clamps would give you the same control.
that might look real nice with a contrasting colour in the kerfs.
i borrowed from 4est tracker's board bow build along, and glued on some flipped tips, onto a HBI that had some glued in reflex- i like it so far- have yet to finish it- too busy with the swap bow!!

[tenbrook]

Glad you got the Ipe!

I am going to be doing a BBI buildalong soon.  It will be a bend through the handle design with a little reflex glued in.

I am going to post it in the powwow section to try and get some new bowyers building BBI bows.  Just recently paid to be a sponsor and am going to try and keep Bamboo and Ipe in stock for sale.

If anyone needs any Boo or Ipe send me a PM and keep a lookout for the thread.

Thanks!

Tenbrook

[Don Armstrong]

tenbrook, I haven't got it yet. I said I had some coming    . I will let you know when it arrives. Don