what size tips

[Kegan]

You really shouldn't need more that 1/2"x1/2" tips for a war bow.  Bigger tips will only rob your bow of performance and add lots of hand shock.

Pat's 110% right. You'll be building a big huge bow with no real performance. If you're going to all the trouble of building a big heavy bow with fancy tips and everything, why not do it right?

[fishfinder401]

You really shouldn't need more that 1/2"x1/2" tips for a war bow.  Bigger tips will only rob your bow of performance and add lots of hand shock.

Pat's 110% right. You'll be building a big huge bow with no real performance. If you're going to all the trouble of building a big heavy bow with fancy tips and everything, why not do it right?

i know, ill be more winging it once i actually get the materials, i just prefer to over plan and modify to work, i prefer having extra material

[Kegan]

What woods are you using?

[fishfinder401]

What woods are you using?

ipe core and i think hickory backing, but need to find a source first fro an 8ft board

[Kegan]

Those are plenty dense, I'd say start at 3/4" wide (in your planning) and go down from there. You might even wind up with them under 1/2" wide, depending on how long the bow winds up being.

[fishfinder401]

Those are plenty dense, I'd say start at 3/4" wide (in your planning) and go down from there. You might even wind up with them under 1/2" wide, depending on how long the bow winds up being.

do you realize i'm planing on it being 150-160lbs, i might be wrong, but that seems to thin
thanks
noel

[Del the cat]

Those are plenty dense, I'd say start at 3/4" wide (in your planning) and go down from there. You might even wind up with them under 1/2" wide, depending on how long the bow winds up being.

do you realize i'm planing on it being 150-160lbs, i might be wrong, but that seems to thin
thanks
noel

There isn't much leverage on the end of a bow.
take 120# bow, 1 foot down from the tip there is 120foot pounds trying to snap the limb. At 3" down the limb there is only 30 foot pounds. At one inch down there is only 10 foot pounds.
The force at the actual nock is all in shear, with no leverage at all.
Ok this is a bit of a simplification, but you get the idea.

Del

[fishfinder401]

Those are plenty dense, I'd say start at 3/4" wide (in your planning) and go down from there. You might even wind up with them under 1/2" wide, depending on how long the bow winds up being.

do you realize i'm planing on it being 150-160lbs, i might be wrong, but that seems to thin
thanks
noel

There isn't much leverage on the end of a bow.
take 120# bow, 1 foot down from the tip there is 120foot pounds trying to snap the limb. At 3" down the limb there is only 30 foot pounds. At one inch down there is only 10 foot pounds.
The force at the actual nock is all in shear, with no leverage at all.
Ok this is a bit of a simplification, but you get the idea.

Del

that actually helps make things a little more clear, thanks, by the way, i think i am going to go for a ipe belly, maple core and hickory or bamboo back
thanks again everyone
noel

[Kegan]

do you realize i'm planing on it being 150-160lbs, i might be wrong, but that seems to thin
thanks
noel

Yup, if you were going for anything 100# or less I'd have said start at 3/8" and you would still have plenty of wood left

Ipe is extremely dense and stiff. A little bit goes a long way, and depending on how you lay your bow out even at 150# you won't need "off the charts" dimensions. If you were using something lighter, like yew, then you might need to go for more than 3/4".

[fishfinder401]

do you realize i'm planing on it being 150-160lbs, i might be wrong, but that seems to thin
thanks
noel

Yup, if you were going for anything 100# or less I'd have said start at 3/8" and you would still have plenty of wood left

Ipe is extremely dense and stiff. A little bit goes a long way, and depending on how you lay your bow out even at 150# you won't need "off the charts" dimensions. If you were using something lighter, like yew, then you might need to go for more than 3/4".

what thickness should the ipe be as a belly with a maple core and hickory backing 
thanks
noel

[Kegan]

Not really sure. I've never built a warbow like that. I'd say start at 1 1/4" thick at the center and 5/8" thick at the tips. If that isn't heavy enough you could always cut it down, but if you're concerned with the length maybe make it a little thicker.

[fishfinder401]

Not really sure. I've never built a warbow like that. I'd say start at 1 1/4" thick at the center and 5/8" thick at the tips. If that isn't heavy enough you could always cut it down, but if you're concerned with the length maybe make it a little thicker.

ok, thanks, its good to have a rough estimate to start with