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Author Topic: Purpleheart selfbow  (Read 6634 times)

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mikekeswick

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Purpleheart selfbow
« on: April 03, 2012, 04:20:53 pm »
I have recently made contact with probably the best wood suppliers in the UK. I was walking around their yard with my jaw on the floor at all the wood they had. Anyway I came round a corner and saw purpleheart trees in long lengths. I got to thinking that a purpleheart selfbow with a chased ring or two of sapwood would be super cool! I've made purpleheart bellied elb's before but found it prone to chrysaling a little.
So I was wondering if anybody out there had done this before? Any success?
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2012, 04:24:15 pm »
<cough> And where, pray tell, is this purveyor of fine timbers establishment to be found?
Del
(I promise I won't tell any of the 'others')
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Offline Ian.

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2012, 04:41:47 pm »
I would love to see you try it, it would look pretty stunning if it works.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2012, 07:42:42 pm »
I heard the same about purpleheart after I roughed out an elb and backed with a thin strip of maple....and there it has sat for 2 years.  I have another peice that I plan on making a square cross section bastardized ELB.  Maybe distributing the belly compression will help. 

Either way, it will look awful pretty!
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Offline Gaur

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2012, 08:35:29 pm »
I was just thinking of trying that with some of our local woods like teak.  I experimented with them a bit with backing with bamboo and it crushed it but was thinking of trying to leave some sap wood and see what happens.  Also thought of trying it with sinew.

Guess you'll have to try it and let us know. 
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2012, 05:00:06 am »
Quote from: JW_Halverson on April 03, 2012, 07:42:42 pm
I heard the same about purpleheart after I roughed out an elb and backed with a thin strip of maple....and there it has sat for 2 years.  I have another peice that I plan on making a square cross section bastardized ELB.  Maybe distributing the belly compression will help. 

Either way, it will look awful pretty!

those square cross section ELB's are nice bows to shoot I think. I've made three now. 

Boariar Bows on Youtube did an all purple heart long bow in one of his videos.
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Offline Stefan

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2012, 05:57:45 am »
wouldn't it be near to impossible to chase a ring on purpleheart? The stuff I have is thin ringed and I haven't seen purperheart with colour change between sapwood and heartwood?

I would love to see a purpleheart selfbow, I find that purpleheart is not that expensive so you could give it a try...
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Offline markinengland

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2012, 06:05:22 am »
I think Steve Gardner tried purpleheart as a self bow some time back. Might be a thread on it if the record goes back that far.
I've heard that it tends to chrysal and has low tension strength, which might explain why we tend to see it as a central core. Might make a pretty stunning flatbow is made wide enough though.
Where is this stunning wood yard by the way?
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mikekeswick

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2012, 06:46:43 am »
It's near Glasgow and I luckily spoke to one of the bosses there when I phoned up. He was interesterd in bows and was happy to walk round with me for about an hour answering all my questions. It was pretty cool to see all these huge tropical trees still in tree form. They specialise in marine construction woods. They had more greenheart than you can imagine! Found out it's the wood of choice for launching ships/oil rigs so that shows you the compression it can take. If any of you southerner's  ;) want anything getting i'm going to the Sottish 3D nationals this weekend and will be going to the yard on Monday. PM me if you want any wood getting.
Stefan - Purpleheart has white sapwood.
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TurtleCreek

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 06:49:07 am »
  I think you should give it a shot
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Offline bobnewboy

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012, 09:01:29 am »
Hmmm, do they do osage or yew?  Life could get very expensive!  PM sent from this southerner just in case......
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Offline MWirwicki

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2012, 01:05:27 pm »
I've tried purpleheart with a hickory backing, to the same result.  Chrysaling on the belly. 
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Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

Offline druid

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2012, 01:14:05 pm »
Mike, if you deicide to take it- I believe in you! Make it into bow!!!!
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Offline Cameroo

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2012, 04:52:14 pm »
I'm pretty sure that someone once said that any wood will make a bow :)  You just have to design it right! It might have to be really wide, maybe with a trapped back, and it may not be a top performer, but it sure would look cool!
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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Purpleheart selfbow
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2012, 11:29:09 pm »
Yup, same experience here. I made a kids bow with it on the belly, and even at only 18#s it did the same thing >:( But it would be awesome if you could make it work!

Tattoo Dave
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Rockford, MI
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