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Author Topic: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?  (Read 2485 times)

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Offline Whiskeyjet

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How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« on: March 09, 2017, 05:34:25 pm »
I got 6 Ipe boards from a small lumber yard in my area. Hickory too but that's a nother story. They told me they would provide straight grained boards and well I'm sure you can't tell where this is headed.  3 of the 6 are horrifically violated, the other three are not good but I was curious how far from straight can you get away with in exotic hardwoods? Can I use a board like the one pictured with a good hickory backing? Maybe "for science"?  I only planned to make backed bows with the Ipe.
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Offline Whiskeyjet

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2017, 05:35:11 pm »
Here's the truly awful ones.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2017, 05:42:02 pm »
I've only made a few ipe bows but I'd say if you were going to back that ipe if should be OK. I think knots, pins and grain swirls are not good.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Whiskeyjet

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2017, 05:54:38 pm »
The bad ones have islands and 90 degree grain. The "good" ones have occasional knots. Some of them can be eliminated from final product because of their location.
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Offline PatM

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2017, 06:34:17 pm »
Ipe doesn't like those types of defects. Can you go to the yard and look yourself?

We often try to steer people towards supporting guys on here who do all the dirty work for you.
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Offline Whiskeyjet

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2017, 08:57:39 pm »
Quote from: PatM on March 09, 2017, 06:34:17 pm
Ipe doesn't like those types of defects. Can you go to the yard and look yourself?

We often try to steer people towards supporting guys on here who do all the dirty work for you.

Yeah I think if we're ever to do something like this again I would insist on selecting the boards myself. They did a beautiful job on the resaw its a real shame! Nice bunch of guys I feel bad comaining even.
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Offline cadet

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2017, 12:35:54 am »
Non-bowyers have no idea what's needed, and in their well-meant attempts to help, can be relied on to supply completely unsuitable boards or staves, and ruin otherwise good ones.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2017, 07:48:41 am »
Quite often people who work in these places know what a knot is but that's about it
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gutpile

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2017, 02:47:02 pm »
I went to an ipe distributor and asked board prices... cost was about half what a guaranteed board would cost...so I bought a board from echo...grain is perfect.... Im happy with it...
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Offline LittleBen

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Re: How bad is too bad a grain with Ipe?
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2017, 07:15:12 pm »
My experience with Ipe is that it is not very tolerant of poor grain. I've had several belly failures, and every single one followed the grain runout. In other words it sheared into failure. Never had a straight grained  piece fail in pure compression.
Grain swirls also not good. Although I have and continue to build with swirly Ipe just cause it looks cool.
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