Selecting Ipe Boards

[Jmilbrandt]

I'm going to be going by a hardwoods store here in a few days and I was hoping to pick up a few ipe boards. I haven't ever made a board bow before so i'm not sure what to look for. I read the bowyers bible chapter on boards but would that apply to ipe? I thought you couldn't see the grain or growth rings in it. So what exactly do you look fo?

[jr 56]

I have bought one ipe 4"x4". I think they are sometimes used for decking posts. The grain is very tight and hard to see. Make sure it is clean and the price is right. I sectioned the post 4 ways and backed all of the bows with hickory. Watch out for the dust, it is not good for you!

[DustinDees]

if your backing the bow, with ipe you probably are, grain isnt really an issue. a good boo or hickory backing will keep everything together. just look for clean wood without too much really light grain. (from what i heard its much softer same as osage) some board warp for already set in reflex cant hurt either.

Dustin D

[Jmilbrandt]

So I just look for dark clean wood? Growth rings and grain aren't really going to matter? And I was planning on backing it with boo.

[JackCrafty]

The way I choose ipe is the same as the way I choose any other board for a bow.  Some ipe has wild/wavy grain and it can lead to hinges and failures.  Make sure the grain is as straight as possible...and if you can't find a good ipe board (even if you know you will be backing it), then use another type of wood.   JMO.

[Justin Snyder]

My experience with Ipe is you can't see growth rings, I'm not sure they are there. As for grain, well you can see it if you wipe it with a wet rag, but it is still hard to see. When backing I think it is inconsequential.

BTW you wont find Ipe for sale here in town. I have a piece cut for you in my garage and the boo to go with it.  Call me tomarrow morning. Justin

[nickf]

boo is an excelent backing and will probably hold it together, but a straight grain will surely make it alot easier to work with, ie reduce the chance of tearouts.

Nick

[Rich Saffold]

A lot of Ipe looks like a normal board with defined rings, pipe straight with perfectly clean grain..Others won't have any ring lines, will have wavy sections which can be problems or small knots which can collapse since the surrounding wood is so dense. Often wood sold as Ipe isn't, and there are over 100 known species of the Tabebuia Ipe , or Lapacho tree so when you have used one shade of this wood..

You are just getting started

Clean straight grain is my first priority and flat sawn is my second, but I have made many backed bows which were edge grain that performed the same as flat sawn..

Rich

[elk country rp]

i've found little knots in ipe that sometimes like to crack & crush, but they've been easy to patch & the patches seem to hold.