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Author Topic: good god, when does ipe let go!  (Read 6131 times)

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Offline armymedic.2

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good god, when does ipe let go!
« on: February 05, 2008, 04:07:57 pm »
i am scraping a tiller out of a boo ipe combo that is 68 " long ntn, and i finally have gotten it to target weight...trouble is i am only at a draw length of 14" and i need a true and full 28!  this wood just does not bend, my hick bow looks like a 2x4 in limb thickness next to it, and she still doesn't bend easy.  my arms are smoked!
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Offline Ryano

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2008, 04:10:46 pm »
How wide did you make it? Most of the ipe bows Ive seen were realy narrow. I'd sugest tillering from the sides a bit if you can.
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2008, 04:44:21 pm »
Like Ryano said...shave some wood off the sides as well as the belly....but yeah, ipe will put up a hell of a fight before you'll get it to the right tiller.

I've made several bows of ipe and it's not really wood.  (I think it was brought here by UFO's)

 ;D
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Offline adb

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2008, 04:50:56 pm »
Ipe/bamboo is a good combo. BE PATIENT, my friend. You sound dangerously close to bringing in your bow 15# under weight. Ipe lends well to narrow profiles. Remember, a couple thousandths will change a bow from 60 to 50#. Keep going... with care. If you're frustrated, give it a rest, and work on it tomorrow.
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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2008, 05:10:29 pm »
Quote from: adb3112 on February 05, 2008, 04:50:56 pm
Ipe/bamboo is a good combo. BE PATIENT, my friend. You sound dangerously close to bringing in your bow 15# under weight. Ipe lends well to narrow profiles. Remember, a couple thousandths will change a bow from 60 to 50#. Keep going... with care. If you're frustrated, give it a rest, and work on it tomorrow.
I hear that. Make sure you exercise it plenty so you know you are getting a good reading.  Many bows have been pulled once or twice to check the weight and then tillered again only to come in 15# under weight. Justin
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Offline armymedic.2

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2008, 05:36:20 pm »
yeah, i put it down already for the reasons stated here.  it is pretty slender already, i really want to keep it as wide as it is, so back to the belly  for me, and i am taking the sides of the belly in to make elb type belly on it.  i just can't beleive how strong it is.  i made one hickory and one red oak before this so im no expert, but those came together like butter.  this is like work! 
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Offline adb

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2008, 06:13:19 pm »
Yes, ipe is hard. The dust isn't good for you either. Protect yourself.
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Rich Saffold

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2008, 06:23:08 pm »
Medic, Do you have all the tool marks out of the wood? Is the tiller looking good? Because like mentioned when I'm at 14" and the desired poundage, I usually have the bow strung, and am sanding or lightly scraping the belly while flexing the limbs a bit or taking short shots as the draw length stretches out, just drawing till I can feel it stack..14 to 30 inches can happen in minutes with a little practice.. also the only wood I'm removing at this point is belly wood since the profile is complete. I may sand down the sides, but not on the bow you describe. It should look like a finished bow at this point...


If the tiller looks great I am sanding it, if it needs subtle adjustments I am using the scraper.

These bows usually gain reflex when tillering and that is why I usually have it strung..also I know if properly tillered, the strain in this situation isn't going to cause undue set..

I'm shooting the bow because I can feel things you can't see on the tillering tree..even though its rare when I can feel one in the hand...

Rich





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Offline adb

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2008, 06:29:59 pm »
Hey, Rich
Could you clarify your comment about the bow gaining reflex while you're tillering it?
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Rich Saffold

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2008, 06:41:01 pm »
sure, when floor tillering out one of these  bows with an 1" +of reflex, it may end up well over 2" by the time I first string it.

Variables being humidity, nature of the wood, and bamboo. The 70" bow I am working on now has 3" of reflex. It started with 1.5" in the glue-up.  It's going to be a 50# bow at 32' so I'm not concerned. If it was to pull over 100# I would be...a little ;)

Often these bows dry out more as the wood is being removed as well and this helps the situation as well.. sometime I find 1x 6"x6' boards which have reflexed on their own some 1/2" on their own...

Rich

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Offline Ryano

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2008, 07:40:50 pm »
It would probally gain reflex because the belly wood is getting thiner as you tiller and the bamboo backing is staying the same thickness, which would tend to pull it slightly into more reflex since the belly core isn't fighting the glued in perry reflex as much now that its thinner. I would think you will pretty much lose all of the extra reflex during the shoot in process anyways.
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Rich Saffold

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2008, 09:01:02 pm »
The lenticular limb sections reflex more than the elb, or d styles so it shouldn't be a problem..and depending on the bow you do lose most of it..It can make the real slender ones interesting when  dealing with lateral stability, and why I like to spend more time floor tillering these since I can already feel if it wants to twist in my hand.., and saves time from having to clamp it to bend it..

These can be challenging for someone who isn't real seasoned yet, and patience, a slow pace can mean the difference in these bows. Especially the first ones..I had many backed bows experience when I did my first ipe one, and it kicked my ass..think I ended up with a 30# bow.. Ah the good ol'days..... :o ;D

Rich
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Offline armymedic.2

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2008, 10:04:32 pm »
i am at weight at 14 inches and still using a scraper.  i can take 20 passes on it and not gain a half inch of draw, so i don't think im in danger of going under wiehgt fast am i ?  by taking off the sides, what i mean is, everytime i scrape 15 passes on the flat belly, i then do a couple on each side of the flat belly to keep a gentle cure in the limb, instead of a flat spot on top from what i just took off, make sense?  minus shaping the handle and some beautification (nocks, final sanding) it is the bow i want in profile.  what are you sanding with?  i see myself getting to full draw in another hour or more, not minutes!  im still learning though as well.  tiller looks good to me.
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Offline Ryano

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2008, 10:11:27 pm »
Sounds like your doing fine. Just make sure your exercising the limbs enough between scraping sessions.
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Its November, I'm gone hunt'in.......
Osage is still better.....

Rich Saffold

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Re: good god, when does ipe let go!
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2008, 11:33:58 pm »
If the tiller looks good I am sanding it with the black wet/dry 80-100grit. I mean putting a little elbow grease into it and make some sawdust type sanding..This way you aren't tinkering with a good tiller.. You can use a scraper and its a little more difficult to keep it the same..

Often I'm doing all this outside while shooting the bow..I want the limbs to get used to unloading quickly, not being let down slowly with the pulley string.. Of course its a personal philosophy, but I'm comfortable with the results I get this way ;) I'm also sighting down the limbs while flexing it, kinda reverse drawing the bow and looking for symmetry...

Visually these bows get smaller than any others so it plays on the mind a bit..And this is why I'm busy shooting the bow, and if the tiller looks good its just a matter of getting a little more of an arc in it...AS long as the limbs are stable I'm not worried how small they are getting...

Don't worry about instant results now..go slow..these take a bit of learning even if you have made other laminate bows...
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