Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: tommy6 on December 31, 2008, 02:51:32 pm

Title: Ipe footing
Post by: tommy6 on December 31, 2008, 02:51:32 pm
Does anyone have any experience using ipe for arrow footing? I know its a strong wood, heavy and hard, Im a bit concerned about how it would take impact. Ipe is nice when its polished up in a bow, but working with it Ive gotten some nasty splinters, seems brittle at times.
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: knightd on December 31, 2008, 03:00:46 pm
It can be brittle if using it as a footing make sure it is straight grian and no run off.. If there is a run off it will have a tendancy to split at them.. Over all I would not recomend it.But maybe you will have better luck than me..
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: tommy6 on December 31, 2008, 03:09:56 pm
making footed arrows takes too much time for me to experiment...I just so happened to find a 3ft long piece of ipe 3/4 square in my wood pile and of course  tried to think of what to do with it.
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: JackCrafty on December 31, 2008, 04:19:02 pm
I've used ipe for atlatl points...and it works really well.  I might try it for arrow heads in the near future.  Like David said, it splits rather easily, but it holds together well of it's not too thin or too pointed.

I think it would make great footings....and there are some arrow makers who use it (along with bulletwood and other exotics).  I think it might work better with a socket type arrowhead but it should pretty good with a tanged arrowhead.  Not all ipe is the same....so you might have to experiment.
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: knightd on December 31, 2008, 04:23:19 pm
Knife handles ?? I agree with jack crafty on the socket type heads and straight grain..
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: mullet on December 31, 2008, 07:04:12 pm
  I think it would make great fore-shafts for cane or boo.
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: markinengland on December 31, 2008, 08:15:30 pm
I have used ipe for arrow shafts and for foreshsafts on bamboo arrows.
I had some explosions of very thin flight arrows, but it has worked very well as thicker 5/16ths footings.
On my long Amazonian arrows some of the field points came off and I just sharpened them and shot them with the ipe as the point and they have done just fine. Absolutely no breakage!
The south american natives use black palm for their foreshafts/points by the way.
Mark in England
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: mullet on December 31, 2008, 08:35:31 pm
 That's kinda what I was thinking, Mark. It would be a true Primitive arrow in the Primitive division at a 3-D shoot.
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: Coo-wah-chobee on December 31, 2008, 09:22:52 pm
I have used ipe for arrow shafts and for foreshsafts on bamboo arrows.
I had some explosions of very thin flight arrows, but it has worked very well as thicker 5/16ths footings.
On my long Amazonian arrows some of the field points came off and I just sharpened them and shot them with the ipe as the point and they have done just fine. Absolutely no breakage!
The south american natives use black palm for their foreshafts/points by the way.
Mark in England
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Mark........South American natives also use ipe for their foreshafts. Howver that bein' said ipe is important at them and they use black palm ta save the ipe resource and palm is a lot easier ta work. Regards...bob
Title: Re: Ipe footing
Post by: tommy6 on January 02, 2009, 03:22:13 pm
Thank you all for the many responses. I will try it!