Hick backed Ipe, 45# @ 28" semi spotty lazy build along

[toomanyknots]

Here's some pictures of a bow I recently made. It's a hickory backed ipe, 66 1/2" from nock to nock, 45# @ 28".

Piece of hickory and my ipe, both 68" long, cut, sanded to 80 grit, and ready to go. The hickory is around 1/8" or so, a little less I think, and the ipe is 7/16" thick.



Bloodwood power lam, 13 1/2" long:



And some maple bloodwood and ipe I will use for the built up handle:





Here I am using a template to draw out the profile on both the piece of ipe and the piece of hickory. I think the measurements are 68" long, 1 7/16" wide for 4 1/4" on each side of center (so a 8 1/2" handle), tapering to 1/2" tips:







Staying well outside the lines, I cut it out with my bandsaw and and then sand it to the line (carefully) with my belt sander to get it as close as possible:





Here's a pic of how thick my ipe is:



...I don't show it here but I measure the tip on the end of the ipe to about 1/4", and than use the belt sander to do a thickness taper on the belly until I reach the 1/4" thickness, or close. I don't know why I need to do this with a pyramid taper anyhow, but for some reason I do, I wonder if it is due to the narrowness of the pyramid taper, or the fact I glue in reflex. Anyhow, I usually floor tiller my belly while I do this, checking for an even bend:

[toomanyknots]

After I do that, I get everything ready for glue up (everything has been sanding to 80 grit and is flat and ready to go). I just wipe the pieces down with a damp rag, instead of acetone like a lot of people do. I do however wipe the crap out of the ipe though, until my rags don't show this brown crap (thats what is looks like anyway, ):







I just use tb3 at the moment, I paint it on with a cheap brush and let it sit for about 5 minutes or so, then clamp the handle and everything up. I line the tips up first though and hold them down with spring clamps, and usually some spring clamps on the outside of the handle to help hold things together while I clamp the handle. I use c-clamps on the handle, and rubber bicycle innertube for the limbs. The power lam and handle need a lot more pressure than the limbs do, especially where the power lam fades out. I think it is important to let the tb3 sit and start to gel for about 5 minutes for this reason, as it can be really runny at first, and get squeezed out to nothing if it is too runny, or at least this has been my experience. If the wood soaks it up too after the 5 minutes or so, I add more. Those little pieces of wood I have under the clamps are just pieces of poplar dowel I cut out so I don't crush the back (or belly under the power lam fades).







The main reason I cut the width and thickness profile, is because I like to glue in reflex. Since everything is all tapered, it will bend nice and evenly when I suspend some form of weight from the middle:



Next day unwrapped:

[toomanyknots]

Now I do the overlays. Two pieces of horn I got from ebay (as a knife handle blank I cut up):









I sand the horn and mating surface on the bow with the disc part of my cheapo craftsman belt sander.





Than taper the horn ends so I don't hurt the back when shaping em after they are glued up:









Now the only thing to do right now is of course tiller the bow. I think I might of screwed this glue up up, as it came in about 60# @ 28", where I was hoping for something around 50#, so I could get my goal of 45# @ 28" easily. I don't have a lot of experience with hitting target weight either. I think I might of stressed the bow a bit more than I should of before tillering it down to 45#, as usually the bow will hold at least half of the reflex I glue into it. But it is still at zero string follow after unbracing, I just wished it would of held some reflex. It still shoots great, so I am not that disappointed. I was worried at first that I wouldn't make the weight, so I tried to guesstimate the right belly thickness to use? Anyhow, here is the final tiller:

 

Now everything else is just prettying up the bow. I use an electric drill with a buffing pad to buff the nocks:

[toomanyknots]

I finished the bow with a simple matte tung oil finish. I'm not the best at doing leather handles, but here are the finished pics: (By the way, I tillered this bow to have 1/4" positive tiller, as the handle/limbs were symmetrical)

[Badly Bent]

Nicely done Knots. Thanks for posting pics and a description of the build, good stuff. Nice bend in the bow also, looks like it is a good shooter.

[IdahoMatt]

Great build. The bow looks awesome.  Thanks for the pic heavy build.

[bow101]

Nice bow and thanks for the build-a-long.. Knots it looks like ya have a real work area now........   good stuff.

[adb]

Nice job, excellent build along. Hick/ipe... one of my favs!

[mikekeswick]

Nice! I'm sure that will haelp some people out.
If i'm being hyper critical then I would say a shade more bend from the fades to midlimb and you may have held some of that outer limb reflex.
Also try trapping your hickory a little......

[raghorns]

I like it! Definitely going to try me one of these...Thanks.

Lyle

[Del the cat]

Great build along, I like the weight to give the glue up reflex.
Del
(Give the cat my regards )

[dbb]

Nice easy to follow pic heavy buildalong.
I have been hanging around here a while now and its fun to see how you guys get better and better,first at the bows and then it comes together
with nice finish too.

[Markus]

Looooking Gooood. Markus.

[toomanyknots]

Nice! I'm sure that will haelp some people out.
If i'm being hyper critical then I would say a shade more bend from the fades to midlimb and you may have held some of that outer limb reflex.
Also try trapping your hickory a little......

Oh I totally agree about the tiller, no need to be hyper anything, . Never tried trapping anything other than a stave bow a couple times, I'll try that out next time. Thanks guys!

[PEARL DRUMS]

Man your getting good at these lam bows. Great glue lines, that's key as you well know.