Ipe Inspiration

[Jmilbrandt]

I was just today generously gifted a board of ipe by a fellow bowyer and I am trying to decide what to make from it. It is 1 1/4" x  3/4" x 70". I was thinking either a boo backed elb or reflex deflex but I can't decide and I only have one. What would you guys do?

[bushboy]

nothing quite as sweet asv as r/d

[Prarie Bowyer]

At that length an ELB would be a really efficient use of material.

[lesken2011]

You have enough ipe to do just about anything. Most of it I have worked is so dense, 1 1/4 width should be fine. I am a flat belly fan though. Hickory or bamboo should work fine as your back. You have enough thickness to make it a bendy handle or stiff. I like my bendies about 60 in or so and my stiff handled ones about 66. I usually run a pyramid taper but start it farther out from the handle area for a stiff handled bow. Good luck and let us see some pics!!

[spyder1958]

Bubby gave me his advise on Ipe and it work great. I've built 4 now and all were different. What I learned, Ipe/boo back, super fast and sure throws a heavy arrow. Keep the boo thin and taper to the ends, if you don't your Ipe will get thin during tiller in the outer 1/3. also don't go to wide with Ipe. but it all depends on what weight your shootin for. I kept the width out of the fades 2/3 and tappered to 3/8" tips in the last 1/3. work for me.
I backed one with Ash, this one had a lot of zip. Mullet shot this one. One with white oak, to me its not as snappie. the last of the bunch I backed with linen and it was smooth only 48" it was for my granddaughter and the least draw weight, but sure would fling a arrow.
good luck

[Prarie Bowyer]

There is two bows in there.

[Jmilbrandt]

I missed the last couple replies to this post. I'm thinking I will do an elb from this piece and I was hoping to get about #70 out of it. I know it doesn't take much ipe to make a bow but at that weight can I still get 2 bows from it?

[ionicmuffin]

if you really wanted to you probably could, but if you do that you have a 3/4" and a 1/2" Does that sound workable to you? i suppose if you leave the ipe thick you could make it 1/2 inch? 3/4 seems like it would work for a 40-50 lb r/d bamboo backer
honestly though, i would just make one from this and go buy another one, they are usually no more than 30$ for a 1x6x8 or something like that, which is around 3-4 bows maybe more.