Maple backed HHB Deflex Recurve

[Marc St Louis]

It is actually HHB heartwood Pat.  You need a tree at least 6" in diameter for it to start having any substantial amount of heartwood.  HHB heartwood is very slick and scrapes like butter.  The backing is a quarter sawn strip I cut from a stave.

I started on one about 7 years ago Adam but never finished it, it's still sitting on a rack.  I was trying to make it without splicing in the recurves, tough to do.  One of these days I'll get back to it

[PatM]

I generally cut the trees a bit smaller in diameter and have only seen one tree with sizeable heartwood. Oddly it had formed heartwood more like you would expect to see on a Yew or Cedar. Just a small ring of sapwood. There was central decay so it was probably compensating for something  by upping the natural preservatives.
 I did notice a difference in the texture for sure.

[adb]

I tried to heat bend ipe once. It was a disaster.

[Jesse]

Looks great. That would make a nice ground blind bow.

[PatM]

I tried to heat bend ipe once. It was a disaster.

I found some literature once that claimed Ipe was excellent for steam bending and used extensively for bentwood construction. I wonder if it would react differently if obtained green.

[Marc St Louis]

I tried to heat bend ipe once. It was a disaster.

I found some literature once that claimed Ipe was excellent for steam bending and used extensively for bentwood construction. I wonder if it would react differently if obtained green.

Most likely they used the Ipe for the form and were steam bending something else 

[PatM]

They were very adamant that it was used.  I'll try to find it.

[adb]

The ipe I tried to steam bend moved just slightly more than a cast iron frying pan. 

[ajooter]

Love those deflexed.bows sir!!

[Parnell]

Wouldn't be hard to pick one of your bows out of an anonymous pile.   

[Marc St Louis]

Thanks guys

[bubby]

 Justin Snyder did a combo of steam and kerf cuts here with epe but he still had to glue some of the bend in  http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l253/justinsnyder_2006/archery/Scoutcamp019.jpg

[Bryce]

I tried to heat bend ipe once. It was a disaster.

I found some literature once that claimed Ipe was excellent for steam bending and used extensively for bentwood construction. I wonder if it would react differently if obtained green.

Most likely they used the Ipe for the form and were steam bending something else 

Boil it. Best way I've found so far.

[killir duck]

now that bow looks like an exellent combo between speed, durability and manuverability.

[Jodocus]

That one's brilliant. It's by far the most beautiful example of this style I've ever seen. Someone's probably going to be very happy with it!