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whatwasithinking Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2013 Posts: 230 Location: Washington State
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Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 12:34 pm Post subject: Intro |
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Hi all,
Wanted to introduce myself. The noise bandwidth seems kinda low here, so I'll add a little!
Having started to do some bow repairs and rehairs, a maker encouraged me to learn bow making. Now have most of the tools I need, and some wood. Am also signed up for George Rubino's class in button and frog making this summer.
Has anyone here tried ipe? I bought some boards, although the maker I've been conversing with suggested I stay with pernambuco. Just seems too expensive to learn on pernambuco, though. The ipe blanks seem very stiff, and a bit heavy, and I'm quite curious to see how they turn out. At least I won't cry if I ruin a few!
BTW, I wanted to thank Craig for helping me learn more about good rehairing practices. |
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ctviolin Super Member
Joined: 07 May 2009 Posts: 961 Location: Roswell
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Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:40 pm Post subject: Re: Intro |
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whatwasithinking wrote: | Hi all,
Wanted to introduce myself. The noise bandwidth seems kinda low here, so I'll add a little!
BTW, I wanted to thank Craig for helping me learn more about good rehairing practices.
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WWIT,
Hi, I'm happy that I could help.
Do you have the notes folder and rehair DVD also?
If not, let me know and I'll send a copy of them off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5CLnvVKn_VQ
ct _________________ Look,
Listen,
Learn. |
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whatwasithinking Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2013 Posts: 230 Location: Washington State
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:28 am Post subject: |
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Hi Craig,
Yes, received everything. Thanks so much! Many helpful pointers. |
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Ed Shillitoe Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 110 Location: Syracuse NY
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:57 am Post subject: |
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Welcome WWIT! Yes, this place is kind of a ghost town so its nice to see someone new!
Ipe is a very good wood to use - you want it to be heavy and stiff, and it is a lot cheaper than pernambuco. The tools and methods are the same if you ever change over.
You'll enjoy the class by George Rubino in the summer. Even though it's billed as frogs and buttons you could take any sticks that you'r working on and get advice I'm sure.
Are you going to post some pictures of your results?
Ed |
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ctviolin Super Member
Joined: 07 May 2009 Posts: 961 Location: Roswell
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:09 am Post subject: |
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Ed Shillitoe wrote: |
Are you going to post some pictures of your results?
Ed |
Yes, please, if you do start making, put up something - I'd love to see a couple of new handmade bows.
I'm sort of venturing there myself...
ct _________________ Look,
Listen,
Learn. |
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ctviolin Super Member
Joined: 07 May 2009 Posts: 961 Location: Roswell
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Bow making, that is. _________________ Look,
Listen,
Learn. |
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whatwasithinking Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2013 Posts: 230 Location: Washington State
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:32 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the encouragement!
Sure, I can post photos when I get there. I expect a couple of failures, at least. Wish I had a coach, but George did tell me I was welcome to bring some sticks with me and work on them after class. The maker who got me started would look at my work, too, but I don't see him every day.
Question for Ed:
Should the ipe blanks be from air-dried wood only? I also have a little kiln-dried ipe, but I think it behaves differently. I've also read that the wood needs to rest for a couple of years after cutting. Is that good practice after each cut, even from an already smallish board? Most of my blanks came from 1.5" by 1.5" by 3' wood. Each board made four cello blanks. |
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Ed Shillitoe Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 110 Location: Syracuse NY
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:59 am Post subject: |
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I have not used Ipe myself, but George's teaching assistant - Kevin Curry - has made some very nice Ipe bows. He can give you a better idea of how long the sticks should be left to season.
However bow woods in general do need to be aged after each step - you buy the boards as aged as you can get them, then leave them in your shop for as long as you can. Then cut them into sticks and leave them a bit longer. Then plane them roughly to size and leave them again. In other words it takes about 15 years to make a bow! I think this is partly due to drying of the wood, and partly to the release of tensions from the twisted grain. Sometimes you can run a stick through the band saw and it comes out with a severe bend that it didn't have . Then it bends a bit more over the following weeks.
All you can really do is age the sticks for as long as possible at each stage. If you find a wood that you like, then buy as much as you can so it will be well seasoned by the time you come to use it. I have enough bloodwood - which I like a lot - to last until I am about 100 years old, so I don't worry about such things any more!
Ed |
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whatwasithinking Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2013 Posts: 230 Location: Washington State
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Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:12 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, Ed. Very helpful. The supplier told me that these boards had been in storage for several years, under cover. That seemed like a good thing. Then he let me pick through his entire stock, testing each one for weight, grain, and checks or other defects. |
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