Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: NTD on March 15, 2011, 12:24:53 am
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I have a pre tapered slat of ipe that developed some substantial twist while in storage. I decided to try to correct it with some heat. I clamped it to another board and gave it some light heating. Almost immediatly the wood started sweating a black tar like substance. It's pretty incredible. Has anyone else seen something like this?
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/NDanforth83/101_2542.jpg)
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No, but I don't think I've ever heated ipe with a heat gun. Ron
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Yes. You don't want to heat Ipe too much, it doesn't like it
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Marc,
I remember you saying something about that but the twist in this board was so much that I wasn't willing to make a bow with it as is. I kept the gun moving pretty quickly, bout 10 seconds in a spot at a time. Do you think that'll give me problems?
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Yep' what Marc said. It will split and splinter. I have a nice piece that I want to try and bend, like a stave. I had a long pipe made that I can immerse the one whole limb in. I'm going to try and heat and/or boil if I have to, in vegetable oil.
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I don't know this for a fact but I've heard that heat doesn't work with tropical woods(dry or wet) but some sort of a chemical treatment does. If it were me, I'd scrap that piece and find another. Before you know it we'll have to wear hazmat suits to build bows. ;D
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I know it was a hail mary but figured I'd give it a try...... ;)
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glad for this post i have considered heating it . Nate that tar might be what makes it water and bug resistant
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Nate, the ipe I built last year didn't have the same result. I built in some re curves and used a good bit of heat on them, Nothing showed up like that!
But....on my recent persimmon bow I had a bunch of those dots show up. I figured it was sap that rose to the top? Looked like fly crap.
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glad for this post i have considered heating it . Nate that tar might be what makes it water and bug resistant
That's likely Ken, my wife also said it's probably what makes people sick too... :-\
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I heated a piece of jatoba once and it proved fatal. Made it like rubber almost, craziest thing I ever seen. From everything I've been told or experienced heat is a no-no on tropical wood.
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There are some tropicals that bend with dry heat. Pernambuco (used for making violin bows) does and so does Satinwood. Bubinga, Brazilian Rosewood and Ipe don't and a few others also
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Nate, the ipe I built last year didn't have the same result. I built in some re curves and used a good bit of heat on them, Nothing showed up like that!
But....on my recent persimmon bow I had a bunch of those dots show up. I figured it was sap that rose to the top? Looked like fly crap.
That's interesting Tim. I have a few scrap pieces from other ipe bows and such, I'm going to heat em up and see what happens.
I don't think I hurt this piece of ipe. The slat is now quite straight and I don't see any cracks, splinters, or checking. I didn't let it get very hot, 10 seconds at a time, definitely wasn't "heat treating" it :D
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I would let it set for a week or 2 before you do anything else to it. Just to let it rest and rehydrate.
Bevan R
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Ive actualy heated ipe quite a bit with no ill effects. It will heat bend ok as in like a slight gentle curve like reflexing a bow limb more sharp bends don't seem to work as well as other woods. Never had the black tar...
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Thanks Ryan for the info. Definitely helps put my mind at ease that I didn't ruin this piece. I'm wondering if this wood wasn't dry and maybe that's why it developed twist while sitting around here. And maybe it's still not dry and the heat was forcing the moisture out of it? Thoughts?
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NTD: Your last thought was good. Do you happen to have a moisture meter? I heat treated an IPE selfbow with no ill effects, and I MEAN I TOASTED It NICELY!!! Then it got backed with rattlesnake skin.. It's still in use.
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NTD: Your last thought was good. Do you happen to have a moisture meter? I heat treated an IPE selfbow with no ill effects, and I MEAN I TOASTED It NICELY!!! Then it got backed with rattlesnake skin.. It's still in use.
I don't have a moisture meter. But I got the wood in November and for the last 4 months it has sat in a place with an RH never reacing any higher than 30%. It honestly would suprise me that it would still have a high MC but I can't think of a reason for the expression of the black liquid sap stuff when some others haven't seen that with Ipe. The only other thing that I can think of is the fact that we know not all Ipe is equal and it has what 100 different species....maybe some express this tar and others don't....
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I work with Ipe quite a bit, not for bows, but for decks and other building projects. I've never heated it but, would definitely suggest doing so outdoors. The dust can be quite harmful so I'm sure the vapors let off during heating would be even more so. Also, I've been told that a few different very similar exotics are sold as "Ipe". Possibly this is why some pieces are bendable and others are not? Just a thought.
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I once tried to oven dry an ipé sample. I just put a small piece of ipé in our oven and turned it on - didn't think much of it. After half an hour or so, I checked the wood. I could see black drips just like you showed! :o The wood had literally leaked some drips of black 'resin'! That was the last time I ever heated ipé, I told myself.
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I've noticed that some ipe has a lot more oil in it than others, and I believe boiling and steaming is better than dry heat (I've only heard this, not tried it..)