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Author Topic: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?  (Read 2240 times)

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Offline Stickhead

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Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« on: May 13, 2013, 04:44:58 pm »
I have a nice, straight-grained purpleheart board that I've been staring at for years.  I've read bad things about purpleheart as a selfbow, but I was considering backing it with bamboo.  Do y'all think it's worth a try, or is it apt to fret and/or take a lot of set?

Anybody ever try to bend PH with steam or dry heat?

Thanks for any advice.

-Tom
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Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2013, 04:55:49 pm »
Got no idea, but in TBB vol 1 it says its sort of like ceders.

Make your boo backing thin, it can overpower most woods.
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"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Offline dragonman

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2013, 04:58:14 pm »
purple heart is very hard and should be compatible with bamboo....I've never tried it however!!!....but I have used woods of similar density with bamboo and they all worked well....so I'd be happy to give it a go myself...for what thats worth
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'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline Joec123able

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2013, 05:18:12 pm »
Quote from: Thesquirrelslinger on May 13, 2013, 04:55:49 pm
Got no idea, but in TBB vol 1 it says its sort of like ceders.

Make your boo backing thin, it can overpower most woods.


It's nothing like cedar it's much harder but in terms of a bow it may act like cedar
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Offline fiddler49

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2013, 05:40:04 pm »
Purple heart is very dense and makes great bow wood if you back it with boo or hickory. I use it as belly wood
in tri lams.  cheers fiddler49
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2013, 06:32:19 pm »
Purpleheart is very hard and dense but is brittle and may fret if the tiller is not spot on. It should make a beautiful bow, contrasting the boo with the purpleheart.
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Offline okie64

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2013, 07:11:59 pm »
Trap the boo or keep it really thin. I made a hickory backed purpleheart a few years ago and it fretted in a few different places. I can probably dig up a pic of it if you wanna see it, it is pretty wood. I use it for overlays and such now. It is hard as a rock.
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Offline chamookman

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2013, 07:39:06 pm »
I seen PH backed with Hickory attempted two times before. Both were made by above average Bowyers - both eventually Chrysalled badly. I'd say it doesn't like compression well. Bob

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"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline Stickhead

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2013, 09:33:46 pm »
Alrighty, then.  Nobody has talked me out of it, so I'm gonna give her a go.  If it works out, you'll hear about it.

Thanks!
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2013, 10:19:18 pm »
It may be born to die, but it will look flippin' gorgeous as it does it!  Just so long as the 'boo doesn't get too yellow looking and begin to make it look like the bow was made for a Minnesota Viqueens fan!
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Offline warpath

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Re: Would boo-backed Purpleheart work?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2013, 11:22:12 pm »
I've backed purpleheart with bamboo and it made a really nice hunting bow for a friend of mine. I posted it on here awhile ago. The problem was that even cutting the bamboo fairly thin, it took me about 5 attempts to get one that didn't fret on me. Every time I backed purpleheart with hickory using the same dimensions as the bamboo bow, I came out with a nice 45-50# bow every time. The purpleheart and handle were all one piece with no separate handle riser with an overall length of 72" and the bamboo and hickory were both taken down to about 1/4". Overall handle was 6" with 2" fades on both sides. 1 3/4" wide at the fades tapering down to 3/8" at the tips. I hope this helps.

  G
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