Ash backed Ipe flatbow

[toomanyknots]

The tiller is really perfect. And darn you for having such perfect grain ash, all the ash lumber I have around here has horrid grain!  Heck, I can't even find backing quality hickory around here truth be told. All I can find is maple and bamboo. Really beautiful bow, beautiful job as always.

[adb]

Is this a board bow or did you work this out of a stave?  Great job!

Backed board wood. I've never seen or heard of an ipe stave.

[Hamish]

Richard Saffold has made self bows out of Ipe staves. They weren't tree split staves with  a crowned back, just very straight grained boards. 3/4" widest and thickest point, so very narrow. You need virtually perfect wood and skills to make a bow like that without it twisting.

Once again, this ash backed ipe is a beauty.
                                                                    Hamish.

[blackhawk]

Ehemm...hope to see this in next months BOM....I might even vote for it 

[adb]

Richard Saffold has made self bows out of Ipe staves. They weren't tree split staves with  a crowned back, just very straight grained boards. 3/4" widest and thickest point, so very narrow. You need virtually perfect wood and skills to make a bow like that without it twisting.

Once again, this ash backed ipe is a beauty.
                                                                    Hamish.

Thanks!

So... his bows are really not a split stave bow... but a board bow. Straight grain is always the most important thing when choosing dimensional lumber. And you're right... it doesn't take much ipe to make a bow! I've thought ipe would make a self bow, it's very tough wood.

[adb]

Ehemm...hope to see this in next months BOM....I might even vote for it 

Sorry Senor Chicken Hawk... I buy my mag copy off the news stand... so I don't qualify! 

[blackhawk]

I was hinting at ya to make yourself qualified...bows like this should be in the running  .......I know...I know....  

[Josh B]

Very nice!  That ash grain is beautiful stuff! Josh

[soy]

there are quite a few bows on here that look really great....and then there are some on here that you really want to get your hands on.....this is one of those that you just want to grab a hold of!!!!! Very nice

[vinemaplebows]

Very nice!

[Arrowind]

Another incredible bow!   Love it!   I have some Ipe I'm hoping to try sometime soon.  Hope it turns out half as nice as this one!

[lostarrow]

That is a very striking colour combo. Nice stuff! I was inspired by an earlier post of yours  with an ELB style Ipe /Maple?Just happened to come across a beautiful piece of Ipe myself. 5-1/2 " x 1" x 8'. Perfect 1/4 sawn..................Also happened to score a nice 2"x 4"x6' 1/4 sawn White Ash.  Never having worked with Ipe, I was wondering how thick the belly should be?  I'm assuming the back is about 1/8" ?.?. Could I start out with 7/16" (this would give me twice as many out of the board)

[adb]

What do you want to build? A flatbow or ELB? Draw weight?

[lostarrow]

Thinking  ELB for a couple ,in the #50- #60 range.  Was also thinking of making one in the #80  range ,but I know I would need more than 7/16" for that one.

[adb]

You could easily make an ELB with 7/16" thickness if you made a tri-lam, using 1/4" backing and core. The bow you're referring to (that I recently posted) was ash backed, yew core and ipe belly. Make it 70" to 76" long. Make it 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" wide at the grip and 1" total depth thickness at the handle, and with a 4" straight grip, taper continuously to 1/2" tips. Same with the belly... taper from 1" thick at the grip to 1/2" at the tips and you're ready to start tillering. Get the middle bending first so it doesn't end up whip tillered and then bring your tips around just at the end.