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Ipe and Bamboo

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backgardenbowyer:
HELP!

I've oiled the wood with Danish oil to bring out the grain and what looked like superficial blemishes on the bamboo backing now apear as cracks.  There is one I previously spotted right at the tip which doens't look serious, but I can now see two more - one on the top of a node (again I wouldn't have thought this serious) but the one that is worrying me is mid limb and consists of a series of tiny cracks which together run for 4" or 5" in a slight diagonal.  Somebody please tell me its not fatal!

The bamboo was the only piece I could get and had clearly stood in the weather a while.  This is more than a bit disturbing as the ipe is some of the best I've seen.

As there is now oil in the cracks super glue may not be all that effective - I'll try to strip the finish with some acetone to begin with.

Stan  :(

bobnewboy:
HI Stan, are the cracks anything more than scratches?  That is, do they run deep into the bamboo?  I find that there is quite a bit of the waxy coat layer over the power fibres in the bamboo that I use, and certainly on the Holmegaard style bow which I made for Helene, the surface can be scraped quite a bit with no apparent ill effect.

//Bob

backgardenbowyer:
Thanks Bob.  I'd already scraped the waxy natural "varnish" off the boo which was quite scratched.  These small cracks are under that surface.  They are clearly not very deep and I've scraped a little more off and just about got rid of them without cutting through the power fibers.

Panic over - probably....

Spent a lot of time on this bow and would really hate to see it blow at this stage.  I'm determined to have it finished next weekend.

Stan

markinengland:
Stan,
Cracks that run down the bamboo don't seem to cause a problem. Cracks running across can be.
I have had similar problems with weathered bamboo. Even after that nasty noise (crack) and a splinter lifting and after Danish oil is put on all is not lost. I have bound a failry highly stressed bow with BYC450 at the point of the lift and the bow has carried on fine. Just keep an eye on it, run in some superglue and if it looks like that isn't working bind it.
Mark in England

backgardenbowyer:
Thanks for the reassurance.

I've scraped a little deeper and the cracks have disappeared!

I'm detemined to have the bow finished this weekend but work does keep interfering with bowyery!  A little more scraping to lose weight near the tips, then the handle binding and finish.

The temporary single loop flemish string I used for initial tesing slipped continually but it was really made for a much longer bow so the timber hitch went above the laid in par at the bottom. I really hate making double loop flemish strings and after four goes one evening this week (all of which were, the wrong length, twited the wrong way or had the wrong sized loops) I've made a better single loop with extra strands in the braided part at the bottom and hope this holds.  (I'm uisng 2x7 strands, my attempt at 3x5 was like knitting a rubric's cube!).  I'll also make a contnuous string tonight (14 strands with reinforced loops) so that at least I have someting whcih can't slip.  Not made a continuous strong before but it looks easy peasey if you make a simple jig and have a serving tool

Picutes of finished item (or broken pieces!) promised this weekend.

Stan

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