Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Calil on July 10, 2013, 05:25:02 am

Title: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: Calil on July 10, 2013, 05:25:02 am

Hello friends

My name  is Wilson, I'm from Brazil. I am a beginner is this area, so I have some silly doubts like the one in the title. Which would be better for curving limbs? hair drier or a heat gun?

Also I'm thinking in doing a full ipe bow, without backing it, do you guys think it's possible? if not, could I leave the sapwood as backing?

 thank you! sorry for my bad english! best regards!

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: TRACY on July 10, 2013, 06:00:07 am

Welcome Wilson!

If you can get a heat gun, that would be a better choice.

As for ipe in stave form, I don't have any experience with it and can't help there. I'm sure someone here has experience and advice to help you out.


Tracy

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: Holten101 on July 10, 2013, 06:08:07 am

Hard, dense tropical woods are usually next to impossible to bend, even with steam. I have never tried bending Ipe thought, so it could be an exception. I would go for a straight stave design, especially if you are a beginner as you say.

And welcome:-)

Cheers

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on July 10, 2013, 07:55:11 am

A hair dryer would be useless. It doesnt genertae the heat needed to move wood.

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: Zion on July 10, 2013, 02:41:43 pm

If you have neither you could also heat the limb over some hot coals. That works for me.

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: rossfactor on July 10, 2013, 03:00:36 pm

If you wanna bend Ipe, consider a kerf cut.  See an this awesome bow by Justin Snyder:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,7923.msg111182.html#msg111182

Gabe

Title: Re: Hair drier or heat gun?
Post by: Pat B on July 10, 2013, 04:13:21 pm

I remember that bow Justin posted back in '08.
 I was going to suggest kerfing instead of using heat to bend the curves. Tropical woods are difficult at best to bend with heat if they will bend at all.
 If you are working with a stave you might not have to remove the sapwood. I'd try to build a bow using the sapwood first. Ipe sapwood might work just fine by itself. If not, chase a ring of heartwood and use that as the back of your bow.
  If you haven't built a bow before I'd suggest you do as Horten suggests and build a straight limb bow first to learn tillering then experiment from there but without tillering knowledge and experience you will just frustrate yourself.
 Oh yeah, Welcome to PA, Wilson. Glad to have you join us from Brazil