Is this a suitable way to attach siyah? FINISHED!

[jameswoodmot]

Got these little off cuts of Ipe that I’m making into a practice bow before venturing into a larger version.

I want to thin this junction as much as possible and leave it relatively wide, in my mind this will be a better way to join it than with a v splice? Happy to whip over it after.

I’ve got some bamboo to lay over the top and up the front of the siyah.

Am I right in thinking that at full draw the ideal angle of the siyahs is for them to be inline with one another and the axis of the bow?

[willie]

wide? as in keeping just over the width of your thumbnail in the pic?

consider a v splice in the same plane as billets are often spliced at the handle that increases the glue joint area and subjects the glue joint to shear
can you find siyah materiel with a natural crook in the grain?

yes to the siyahs being inline at full draw

but its a test bow? so try what you like be shure to test with very light arrows

[superdav95]

wide? as in keeping just over the width of your thumbnail in the pic?

consider a v splice in the same plane as billets are often spliced at the handle that increases the glue joint area and subjects the glue joint to shear
can you find siyah materiel with a natural crook in the grain?

yes to the siyahs being inline at full draw

but its a test bow? so try what you like be shure to test with very light arrows

+1 on v notch.  It can work the way it laid out if you use a strong glue and serving wrap to secure if the draw weight is 40lbs. I think anything over this may be a problem. 

[jameswoodmot]

 Ipe is 50” long and the tips are 7/8” wide so I would call that wide proptionally. I was imagining keeping the tips at 7/8” wide and thinning the Ipe to <1/4 “ to keep the width and keep the limbs more stable, bad idea?

At that thickness I think I’ll have more surface area as a flat interface than a v splice?

It’s the first bow of this type I’ve have done so I have no reference to draw on really. I don’t have a clue what kinda poundage and draw length I’ll get so can’t make much judgment as the forces the tips will be taking.

[jameswoodmot]

wide? as in keeping just over the width of your thumbnail in the pic?

consider a v splice in the same plane as billets are often spliced at the handle that increases the glue joint area and subjects the glue joint to shear
can you find siyah materiel with a natural crook in the grain?

yes to the siyahs being inline at full draw

but its a test bow? so try what you like be shure to test with very light arrows

+1 on v notch.  It can work the way it laid out if you use a strong glue and serving wrap to secure if the draw weight is 40lbs. I think anything over this may be a problem.

Fantastic, two votes for v notch that answers it!

Ipe is 50” long, z splice in the middle. 1 1/4” tapering to 7/8” wide (this is the side of the off cuts). Any rough estimate at the kinda draw weight/ length? 28” would be fantastic so I can thumb shoot it but I don’t know if that’s feasible with this material combo

[superdav95]

Not sure what exactly you’re going for but here is an old build of mi e from a few years ago that may help illustrate the v notch with a boo back or belly to cover it if I’m understanding what you mean.  Anyway have a look if you like I’ll post the link here. 

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,71239.msg1001594.html#msg1001594

[jameswoodmot]

Ah ok so you’ve back with bamboo Then v notched the siyah. I was thinking of gluing the siyah on and then running the bamboo over the glue joint and up the siyah so it had a continuous back. Then sculpting away all the weight I could whilst leaving the glue joint strong. Lots of shapes to think abou,  I might superglue a mock up tomorrow

[jameswoodmot]

Dave, I was thinking something like this.

That was the thickest bit of Ipe I had so the limb will be a bit thicker. My initial thoughts for this is that the surface area will be larger than with a v splice in a limb this thin. I can have a continuous back, giving more strength to the joint. Also, one of the main things, I can do all the shaping after glue up. My major worry with this construction is tip alignment and the more shaping I can do after glue up and tillering the better

[bassman211]

See Dave Mead bows Utube, or web site. I have made a couple dozen of his bows following his lead with no riser ,or siyah failures. Simple, efficient, short, and bullet proof. I do cut an arrow shelf in my bows though. His has none.

[superdav95]

I think that it will be fine so long as you do some serving wraps on the joinery.  Otherwise I could see it lifting under the boo strip right at the tip of the wedge.  I guess there’s only one way to find out and give it a try.   

[jameswoodmot]

Change of plan! V notch it is

[superdav95]

Good call you won’t regret it. 

[jameswoodmot]

Cut the splices today and made a groover that’s better than a hacksaw blade.

I want to sinew it now! I’ve got the bamboo cut though

[superdav95]

Those should work!   

[jameswoodmot]

Very glad I left those siyahs wide, the groves I cut weren’t completely in line so it kicked the siyah off a degree or two. Will just rough up with a hacksaw in the future I think.

Gave it a very light tiller to feel like a 35ish lb bow and so I could get the reflex a nicer curve
Lightly (hacksaw) grooved the back of the bow but not the bamboo. Bamboo was too thin at the edges and I was only going to damage it.

Got it glued up!

I’m going to trim the siyahs stil but the longer they are the easier it is to check alignment. I’ve not glued a bow this thin before and I think there is potential the wraps have caused some twist but not 100% sure. Still plenty of width to play with at the tip.

Clamp in the middle to hold the bamboo to the rest of it, self adhesive bandage to get the bamboo bending in the curve. Wrap with inner tube from handle to tip removing the. Bandage when I get there and then wrap back down over the curve to get it good and tight. Clamped the limbs down to give them some reflex that I expect to loose in the tillering. I hate that flaccid look of set in an unbraced bow. I’m be happy if these limbs end up straight. It’s hard to tell how even the curve is with the wraps on. I hope it’s not angular where the clamps are