So many questions!!

[skarhand]

Obligatory warning: WALL OF TEXT INCOMING!

So I was finally able to get my hands on some Ipe this week and I am very excited about trying some new woods. (also got 1 board foot each of Yellowheart and Bloodwood for accents, grips etc, so awesome!!)

So far I have made working bows from Red Oak, Maple, and Ash.

I really want to back my Ipe with bamboo, but I blew my budget for this month just getting my piece of Ipe, lol. But I want to keep working on projects so I have about 85 questions about some ideas I have had. It may be easier if an experianced bowyer just wants to chat with me on the phone so I can just bounce questions as they come, but I'll try and put some down here. (PM me for my number if anyone wants to just answer some of these over the phone)

Some preliminary infor about my plans with the ipe. It is .75" x 5.5" x 10'. I wanted to to make a few good full sized bows from it and possible some small/short bows. I cut it 68" and 52". I decided to play with the smaller ones first and cut the 52" into 4ths. So now I have 4 almost perfectly straight grained ipe boards .75" x 1.25" x 52".

1. Is ash a good backing for Ipe?

2. I am short on clamps (I have 4 good stout clamps, a huge vice, and 4 Irwin Quick claps) so not enough to do a full clamp up while gluing on backing strips and I don't want to rob the tubes out of my kids bikes. So I am trying to come up with some ideas for using what I have around the house. I have an entire kitchen worth of 3/4" solid oak hardwood flooring that got water damaged to play around with. Here was my thought for glue up: 2x4, waxed paper, ipe, tb3, backing (TBD), waxed paper, oak flooring strip on edge (so it won't flex as much) then clamp it heavily in 4-5 places with bar/c-clamps. Will that distribute the clamping pressure enough to get a good clamp all the way across?

3. I think splicing backing in the middle is not a good idea, but can I splice backing lengthwise? I have a 3/4" thick piece of ash with a really good grain pattern on the edge. Could I rip 2 x 1/8" the length of my ipe and glue them on side by side?

4. Was my assumption in 3 right (regarding splicing backing in the middle)? I have a 27" piece of ash 3/16" thick by 2" wide. Could I cut that at a diagonal and make 2 tapered backing strips 1-1/2" wide tapering to 1/2". They would then be glued on the back, splicing at the handle. Would that work with a non-bending handle? Bendy handle with a wrap? Not at all, ever?

5. What is the difference between "Flipped tips" and "Static Recurve" I'd like to put some sort of reflex on the ends of my bow, but I know that Ipe is tough to do that with. Would I reflex/flip before or after gluing backing. Should I steam and bend the wood before gluing? Dry heat it? Or leave the backing off the non working portion of the reflexed tips entirely?

6. Could I glue the backing on but leave the last 6-7 inches with no glue on it, then steam and bend the tips together. After they set up, then lift the unglued backing force glue in and clamp around the bending mold again?

I have more, but I better quit here before I make anyone's eyes start bleeding from the length of my post. Thanks guys, you are a great resource, and I hope to someday have the talent some of you scrape out from under your fingernails.

[Del the cat]

Are you in the USA?
It's handy to know as I don't think people in the rest of the world will want to phone you!
Del

[BowSlayer]

2. innertubes are good aand in expensive. i got mine from a bike shop they are always throwing them out as people come in wanting punctures fixed.

3. you could do that but you might ruin one half or both if you are using a bandsaw because they don't cut laminations flat they are slightly wobby so when you sand it down you might be to thin. also remember that both bandsaws/ table saws have a kerf (with of the blade) which will reduce with. if you have a 1/4" piece of backing and went straight down the middle the laminates/ backings will be slightly thinner that 1/8"

4. i think you could splice a backing if the joint was on a static part of the limb.

[adb]

Ash, with the right grain orientation, makes a great backing for ipe. I've done it plenty. Just as good as hickory or bamboo.

It doesn't take much ipe to make a bow, in width or thickness.

No, I wouldn't splice a backing piece down the middle lengthwise or otherwise. You'd be asking for trouble. The grain of the back needs to be straight and the fibers of the wood need to stretch together to survive.

Bicycle inner tubes are better than clamps any day, and are cheap. You can probably get free flat ones from bike shops if you ask.

[skarhand]

Are you in the USA?
It's handy to know as I don't think people in the rest of the world will want to phone you!
Del

Oh sorry, Yes I am in the US, but I also have Skype for international calls. I would also be willing to call anyone so the time is on me not on someone else. I just felt weird asking for peoples numbers. And I didn't even take you to dinner!?!

@Bowslayer - thanks I didn't even think about ruined tubes I'll have to call around on that.

I don't have any good band saw blades so I was planning on ripping my .75 x 6" on the table saw to get some 1/8" x 3/4" strips. I know I will be wasting as much in kerf as I get but I have plenty of width and the grain is better on the edge than the top. I may just try splicing at the handle and making it non working there if you think that will work ok.

I am just wanting to be careful with my limited supply of wood. I want to make the best use of it and avoid any broken boards as best as I can.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

[BowSlayer]

Are you in the USA?
It's handy to know as I don't think people in the rest of the world will want to phone you!
Del

Oh sorry, Yes I am in the US, but I also have Skype for international calls. I would also be willing to call anyone so the time is on me not on someone else. I just felt weird asking for peoples numbers. And I didn't even take you to dinner!?!

@Bowslayer - thanks I didn't even think about ruined tubes I'll have to call around on that.

I don't have any good band saw blades so I was planning on ripping my .75 x 6" on the table saw to get some 1/8" x 3/4" strips. I know I will be wasting as much in kerf as I get but I have plenty of width and the grain is better on the edge than the top. I may just try splicing at the handle and making it non working there if you think that will work ok.

I am just wanting to be careful with my limited supply of wood. I want to make the best use of it and avoid any broken boards as best as I can.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

hey ever heard the phrase "if you aint breakin, you aint makin"? you learn from mistakes but prevention is better than cure, wait is there a cure for bow making?

p.s PM me your skype name and ill add you. it would be great to talk about to someone over the pond face to face, i might even be able to help you with some of your questions 

[Don Case]

Two alternatives to bike tubes are pond liner or rubber roofing. So if you know a roofer or a landscaper hit them up for scraps.
Don