Author Topic: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.  (Read 2447 times)

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peterslongbow

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Well I have this 72" board stave I think it is 1 1/2 wide or so. Its is already bending a big when I got the stave. I have had it for years and never did anything with it as I found the IPE so hard to work on, and I always have lots of yew wood around.

Anyways, I started with the spokeshave on the wood and its a slow process but am willing to do it. I was thinking of making a 70 inch bow perhaps very narrow like 1 inch wide with a flat cross section and non bending handle area. Most of the time I use a drawknife almost until sanding (i have messed up some good bows with this) but here I will have to shave off the sides and I don't have a bandsaw or even a block plane so this will be slow to make it more narrow, do you think it would make nice bow if it was almost 2inches wide ? 

I made a wide long bow about 72" long and about that wide out of hickory/boo stave I got from the same guy, and I didn't like the design, I found it clumsy and the hand shock and stuff was bad.

Any tips for nice design  ?

Anyways, I would like to make a 55 lbs bow perhaps 65.

What do you think so far ?



Offline sailordad

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2008, 07:16:15 pm »
if you make it 2" wide and it is ipe, that is going to be very thin

ipe doesnt take a lot to make a great bow, ytou can keep it narrow and a little thicker.
i always like a rounded belly when i use ipe.

if your only using hand tools,yes it wil take a while to reduce it to floor tiller etc.,however take your time this wood makes great bows.
i have made a couple from boo/ipe with only hand tools and liked the end results,hurried into one of them and ended up coming in under my intended weight
so just remember patience patience patience.
i wouldnt recomend a draw knife,theuy can dig in real quik if your not carefull,when you do ue it remember to use it with the bevel down.
i would recomend a hand rasp or a sureform.they work well on ipe,always wear a mask it can irritate your repritory system etc.

good luck

                                                                       peace,
                                                                             tim
i always wanted a harley,untill it became the "thing to ride"
i ride because i love to,not to be part of the crowd

peterslongbow

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2008, 07:22:50 pm »
You got me thinking of a english longbow

So do you think I should go for a english longbow style with a d shape ? how narrow should I make it then ? how short could I make it for a 29-30 inch draw.

I like to make the shortest and narrowest bow I can if its going to be like that.

thanks
« Last Edit: November 09, 2008, 07:26:54 pm by peterslongbow »

Offline Stonedog

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2008, 12:11:56 pm »
Even if you go ELB design....I would keep it NO wider than 1 1/4" wide at it's widest point.....
Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

-Aiel Saying

Rich Saffold

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2008, 12:58:38 pm »
Elb style 1 1/8" wide tapering to 5/16th's tips. Perhaps glue it up with a subtle r/d curve, and scrapers work better on Ipe than most tools, and a bench sander as well.


Offline mullet

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2008, 09:25:47 pm »
  And to go along with Rich's advice, you use the bench sander, get a filter mask.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline Stonedog

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Re: ipe - hickory backed - out of my element please help me choose a design.
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2008, 10:20:24 am »
DEFINITELY get a filter mask....better yet get a respirator!
Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

-Aiel Saying