Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: adb on October 15, 2013, 02:47:06 pm
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Just finished this up a couple days ago. Ash backed ipe flatbow. 64" ntn, 56#@27". Bulbous handle with a new grip style for me... wrapped leather lacing. Black ebony tip overlays, with round inlaid horn arrow pass. Zero set... absolutely none... even when freshly unbraced. I love ipe. It takes such a small amount to make a bow, and it's tougher than a coffin nail.
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Money shots... left & right.
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One more pic showing the back profile. 1 3/8" at the widest, with continuous taper to 3/16" tips.
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Great looking bow Adam. I agree, ipe is mean stuff.
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Ha!! I have an ash backed ipe bow with glue drying in my garage ready to start tillering tonight. I may have to PM with you for some tips, LOL. Even my layered handle/grip is the same. However mine is smaller, I had a 10' piece I cut to 68" and 52". I decided to practice on the smaller one first since it was my first time ever working with ipe.
I love the look of yours and it makes me all the more excited!!
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That is a beautiful bow! I haven't heard a whole lot that's good about ash and had a bad experience with it myself. What kind of things can you expect to see when you back Ipe with it? are the ratios between compression and tension balanced? What are the benefits and drawbacks of using it as a backing?
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Nice! Always love your ipe bows!
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someday ill try some ipe. beautiful bow.
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Another beauty,dig every thing about it!I really gotta get my hands on so ipe!do you drive all the way to edmonton to hand pick your wood or just get it mailed?or will any old piece do?
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Another beauty,dig every thing about it!I really gotta get my hands on so ipe!do you drive all the way to edmonton to hand pick your wood or just get it mailed?or will any old piece do?
I drive to Edmonton and pick it myself. Ipe is not unlike any other wood... it's still best to pick it yourself. No knots, no wonky grain, no drying checks, no warpage. The thing I like about getting wood from this guy is, it's all air-dried... not kiln dried. Ipe is great wood. It takes such a small amount to make a bow, it's easy to work with sharp tools, and it looks great once it's finished. You do have to go narrow and thin with it, otherwise your limb mass is too high.
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That is a beautiful bow! I haven't heard a whole lot that's good about ash and had a bad experience with it myself. What kind of things can you expect to see when you back Ipe with it? are the ratios between compression and tension balanced? What are the benefits and drawbacks of using it as a backing?
I've had very good luck with ash as a backing material, even on narrow profile ELBs up to 85#. No failures. With ipe, I've used: hickory, bamboo, ash, maple and white oak. All have been good.
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Great looking bow. I really like the contrast on the light ash and the dark ipe.
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Beautiful tiller!
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I like that one! The contrast between the woods really makes it stand out.
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Is this a board bow or did you work this out of a stave? Great job!
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The tiller is really perfect. And darn you for having such perfect grain ash, all the ash lumber I have around here has horrid grain! ;D Heck, I can't even find backing quality hickory around here truth be told. All I can find is maple and bamboo. Really beautiful bow, beautiful job as always.
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Is this a board bow or did you work this out of a stave? Great job!
Backed board wood. I've never seen or heard of an ipe stave.
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Richard Saffold has made self bows out of Ipe staves. They weren't tree split staves with a crowned back, just very straight grained boards. 3/4" widest and thickest point, so very narrow. You need virtually perfect wood and skills to make a bow like that without it twisting.
Once again, this ash backed ipe is a beauty.
Hamish.
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Ehemm...hope to see this in next months BOM....I might even vote for it 8)
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Richard Saffold has made self bows out of Ipe staves. They weren't tree split staves with a crowned back, just very straight grained boards. 3/4" widest and thickest point, so very narrow. You need virtually perfect wood and skills to make a bow like that without it twisting.
Once again, this ash backed ipe is a beauty.
Hamish.
Thanks!
So... his bows are really not a split stave bow... but a board bow. Straight grain is always the most important thing when choosing dimensional lumber. And you're right... it doesn't take much ipe to make a bow! I've thought ipe would make a self bow, it's very tough wood.
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Ehemm...hope to see this in next months BOM....I might even vote for it 8)
Sorry Senor Chicken Hawk... I buy my mag copy off the news stand... so I don't qualify! ;)
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I was hinting at ya to make yourself qualified...bows like this should be in the running 8) .......I know...I know.... ::) :laugh:
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Very nice! That ash grain is beautiful stuff! Josh
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there are quite a few bows on here that look really great....and then there are some on here that you really want to get your hands on.....this is one of those that you just want to grab a hold of!!!!! Very nice ;)
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Very nice! :)
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Another incredible bow! Love it! I have some Ipe I'm hoping to try sometime soon. Hope it turns out half as nice as this one!
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That is a very striking colour combo. Nice stuff! I was inspired by an earlier post of yours with an ELB style Ipe /Maple?Just happened to come across a beautiful piece of Ipe myself. 5-1/2 " x 1" x 8'. Perfect 1/4 sawn..................Also happened to score a nice 2"x 4"x6' 1/4 sawn White Ash. Never having worked with Ipe, I was wondering how thick the belly should be? I'm assuming the back is about 1/8" ?.?. Could I start out with 7/16" (this would give me twice as many out of the board)
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What do you want to build? A flatbow or ELB? Draw weight?
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Thinking ELB for a couple ,in the #50- #60 range. Was also thinking of making one in the #80 range ,but I know I would need more than 7/16" for that one.
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You could easily make an ELB with 7/16" thickness if you made a tri-lam, using 1/4" backing and core. The bow you're referring to (that I recently posted) was ash backed, yew core and ipe belly. Make it 70" to 76" long. Make it 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" wide at the grip and 1" total depth thickness at the handle, and with a 4" straight grip, taper continuously to 1/2" tips. Same with the belly... taper from 1" thick at the grip to 1/2" at the tips and you're ready to start tillering. Get the middle bending first so it doesn't end up whip tillered and then bring your tips around just at the end.
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Thanks,
I have enough that I can come up with a few combos. This one may be in the pipe for a while, as I have several ahead of it. I like to start research early so I can keep an eye open for materials / methods etc. I'll be sure to share .