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Author Topic: Unbacked ipe bows?  (Read 2746 times)

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Offline toomanyknots

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Unbacked ipe bows?
« on: March 27, 2014, 02:14:01 pm »
It seems to me if ipe has good grain, it should be able to make an unbacked bow pretty easy? When I was making some reflexed ipe bows, the ipe lam (pretty thick) would bend for days without breaking. Just doing primitive bend tests on the stuff seems like it is pretty good stuff in tension?
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2014, 02:17:13 pm »
Ive seen one TMK. It was in PA mag 3 yrs ago I believe.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline PatM

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2014, 02:47:19 pm »
I link to this thread every time this topic comes up. http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5313.0.html
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Offline adb

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2014, 03:52:23 pm »
Hmmm. Makes a guy wonder. I've always wondered about rawhide backing ipe. Anybody tried it?
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Offline PatM

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2014, 07:20:55 pm »
There's a few of those on here as well.
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2014, 08:39:06 pm »
Sweet, thank you for the info! I might just try an unbacked ipe self elb sometime soon. I was about to recommend to some guy on paleoplanet to just use a piece of ipe by itself and not back with linen, but I just wanted to make sure, as I haven't tried ipe unbacked yet myself.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline WhitefeatherFout

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2014, 11:54:44 pm »
Tmk, I believe an unbacked anything is possible to make, given the right piece of wood.  Will it be a performer? Up to debate for sure.  I've made a few unbacked exotics just because folks on another site said it couldn't be done.  The one that sticks in my mind is an unbacked bubinga board bow based from a Yuqui design from Bolivia.  It's a bow, and it shoots and it ain't broke, but it sucks.  Super slow and doggy.  Ipe would for sure do better as it is less dense but....  Best of luck.
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Offline DarkSoul

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2014, 08:15:53 am »
WhitefeatherFout, ipé is actually denser than bubinga. 0.7-0.9 versus 0.9-1.1 for ipé.

More info here, in this topic that was started six weeks ago: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=45155.0
Hm...toomany, you even replied in that topic as well :P
It appears that multiple ipé self bows have been made. They may not be the best shooters, but it works.
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"Sonuit contento nervus ab arcu."
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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2014, 09:12:13 am »
Quote from: DarkSoul on March 28, 2014, 08:15:53 am
WhitefeatherFout, ipé is actually denser than bubinga. 0.7-0.9 versus 0.9-1.1 for ipé.

More info here, in this topic that was started six weeks ago: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=45155.0
Hm...toomany, you even replied in that topic as well :P
It appears that multiple ipé self bows have been made. They may not be the best shooters, but it works.

lol, I did didn't I,  ::)
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline WhitefeatherFout

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2014, 10:16:26 am »
Quote from: DarkSoul on March 28, 2014, 08:15:53 am
WhitefeatherFout, ipé is actually denser than bubinga. 0.7-0.9 versus 0.9-1.1 for ipé.

More info here, in this topic that was started six weeks ago: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=45155.0
Hm...toomany, you even replied in that topic as well :P
It appears that multiple ipé self bows have been made. They may not be the best shooters, but it works.

DarkSoul, I stand corrected.  I'm basing my info off of boards I've worked with and have in the shop.  The Bubinga I have is super dense and the Ipe I have is of lower density.  Density numbers are a guideline and do not necessarily take growing conditions into account.  Densities can vary greatly within a species given different growing conditions.
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Offline adb

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Re: Unbacked ipe bows?
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2014, 10:56:05 am »
I think ipe excels with being backed, because you can reduce the limb mass by backing it. It doesn't take much ipe to make a bow.
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