Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: jameswoodmot on February 01, 2026, 02:13:35 pm
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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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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