New Bamboo backed Ipe bow

[Ismail]

Thanks to everyones input and advice, successfully made my first Hickory longbow.

Now want to make a Bamboo backed Ipe reflex deflex bow.

Below are my 2 Ipe planks. To my untrained eye the grain looks nice and straight on both.

What do you all think? Which one should I use?

  [/url] [/IMG]

    [/url] [/IMG]

  [/url] [/IMG]

[Pat B]

Doesn't look like ipe to me, at least not the ipe I've used.
 From what I can see the planks look good to me. Are you doing a "Z" splice at the handle?

[mikkekeswick]

I've had some with similar colour but they do look a bit 'funny'? Maybe it's some of the plantation ipe.
How dense are they? Cut off a little piece and see if it sinks in water. Do you have a picture of the end grain?
Ipe is a very stiff wood and making a r/d bow out of it is going to be tough if you don't use a core. Using a core would mean that your belly piece of ipe  would be thinner and therefore more flexable. These thinner lams will then conform to your form much better and you will have less chance of starving your lams of glue.
Another good idea with these bows is to use a powerlam. This will guarantee that you will never run into the problems of risers 'popping' off. About 1/4 inch thick and 16 long is about right.
Vol 4 of the Trad Bowyers Bible has a great chapter on r/d lam bows. I highly recommend reading it.

[Ismail]

Originally posted by Pat B:
Doesn't look like ipe to me, at least not the ipe I've used.
 From what I can see the planks look good to me. Are you doing a "Z" splice at the handle?

Pat, Z splice is above me at the moment.

The planks are 2m long so thought will make a normal 1 piece reflex deflex.

Hopefully these planks are Ipe, thats what I ordered. Normally used for decking here in SA.

Planks are quite heavy also.

[Ismail]

Originally posted by mikkekeswick:
I've had some with similar colour but they do look a bit 'funny'? Maybe it's some of the plantation ipe.
How dense are they? Cut off a little piece and see if it sinks in water. Do you have a picture of the end grain?
Ipe is a very stiff wood and making a r/d bow out of it is going to be tough if you don't use a core. Using a core would mean that your belly piece of ipe  would be thinner and therefore more flexable. These thinner lams will then conform to your form much better and you will have less chance of starving your lams of glue.
Another good idea with these bows is to use a powerlam. This will guarantee that you will never run into the problems of risers 'popping' off. About 1/4 inch thick and 16 long is about right.
Vol 4 of the Trad Bowyers Bible has a great chapter on r/d lam bows. I highly recommend reading it.

Will take the end grain pics tomm and post them.

Dont have too much knowledge of doing lams.

Will hickory be ok as a backing? Have bamboo and hickory at hand.

[macbow]

I like bamboo with Ipe.
But hickory will work. What weight is your target?
For a 50 pound at 28 inches draw a 3/8 inch slat will work,and bend,on the form ok. About 1 1/4 inch wide at the handle and fades. Power lam works well. Bamboo should be thinned well.

[macbow]

On that Ipe is looks light colored to me. The good,stuff it is hard to,see any grain.
Are they heavy? Like twice as heavy as hickory?

[mikkekeswick]

They shouldn't be twice as heavy as hickory...if they are tell me where you bought them from!! 0.90 - 1.1 s.g. is the range i've found with ipe. Hickory runs from around 0.70 - 0.85s.g in my experience.

[macbow]

Agree Mike, was just throwing a,comparison out.
Didn't have the info handy.

Point is Ipe that doesn't feel heavy is probably not going to make a,good bow.

[Kingstaken]

Looks more like Teak to me.
I have a number of IPE pcs laying around and like any wood there is some color variation but I've never seen it that light. I had to order a few thousand feet of it for a boardwalk in the Rockaways.  I've never seen it that light of color. It is darker wood, very dense and very heavy.
It's used for boardwalks because of it natural built-in fireproofing and weather proof characteristics.
I tried using a piece to install blocking for a new window in my house and the nails from the nail gun could not penetrate it.

[Ismail]

Here are the pictures of the end grain:

 

 

Forget the reflex deflex. Think I'll make a bamboo backed Ipe longbow. Just hope this 'fake' Ipe works.

[Roy from Pa]

I would use the top one.

[Ismail]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
I would use the top one.

Roy, nice to have you here.

While you at it, point me to some place where you have instructions on building a tillering tree like yours...with all the bells and whistles...and pulleys also.

[Ismail]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
I would use the top one.

Roy...do these planks look like Ipe to you?

[Mad Max]

cut 1/8" off one end and let us see

[Roy from Pa]

Sure doesn't look like any IPE I've seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[macbow]

I've never seen grain like that in any of my IPE.
Read several articles on how importers call several different trees Ipe due to it's popularity.

Ethier way agree the top pic. Is the choice grain.

[mikkekeswick]

I've seen it like that. Read up on the plantation ipe. It's how it's being grown now to supply the demand.
When I used to be in business making primarily elb's I went through hundreds of boards of ipe. There is a huge natural variation and the low density, open grained, lighter in both weight and colour stuff is what I was seeing more and more often.
the very best ipe I used had a lot of red in it. The really dark, almost black stuff is great too but it's super hard to see pins in it until it's sanded.
Ipe refers to seven different species within the genus Tabebuia.

[Ismail]

Ok, got the board sorted out. Need to run the bow measurements by you guys now.

Planning a bamboo backed Ipe longbow. Want to make the limbsas narrow as comfortably possible.

Draw length is 27", aiming for a #50 bow.

Is 65" bow length fine? Will be putting in fades.

The bamboo backing is 3mm thick, how thick should the Ipe be?

For a narrow bow how wide should limbs be?

[Buemaker]

Roy, what is that cross steel dowel sitting on the wall board 3-4" above the floor used for? Bue