Good Day's Work - Green Heart ?

[Dick in Seattle]

Got a good day's work in today... got the swap bow laid up... will add pix of that to that thread tomorrow after I get it off the form.

Once it was in the oven, I decided my supply of riser blanks was getting short so I went through my wood and started cutting out blanks and/or pieces to laminate so that I can cut blanks out of them...



Here you see 18 blanks and/or sets that will get laminated and cut into blanks tomorrow.  You're looking at three green heart, two pernambuco, two spalted sycamore, one bamboo, four very heavy red woods I don't know what are, will do some research tonight, one ebony, two pieces of bacote needing lamination and the two long pieces on top are red heart from which I'll get three risers.

Never had green heart before... man, it is heavy!  I think heavier than the ebony.  Anybody have any experience with it?

[GREG IN MALAD]

Green heart is Ipe

[Roy from Pa]

Dick, ya have too much time on your hands:) Very nice.

[scottm]

Dick someone sold you pressure treated lumber!LOL!Just kidding!Looks like youve ben very buisy today.Nice work!

[jess stuart]

Looks like Dick is getting ready to mass produce his excellent long bows.

[Sal]

Greenheart could be lignum vitae,and the wood in your picture does look like lignum vitae.  I've seldom if ever heard ipe called greenheart, its called all sorts of things like Bolivian/Brazilian walnut, pau ferro, ironwood, tabebuia, etc.

Lignum Vitae is one of the hardest woods, period.  Its also expensive and hard to get.  I've not worked it, but have several items made out of it, knife handles and flutes.  I heard somewhere that it can be toxic. The greenish hue and its super hardness are its virtues, but the grain is kinda plain.

[Dick in Seattle]

Whatever it is, it's way heavy... lists a specific gravity of 1.03, identical to ebony!    Also, as mentioned, toxic as all get out!   Wouldn't want to spend a lot of time working it, and definitely gloves and mask till it's got finish on it.   My bows are usually really light, barely over a pound.  When I occasionally do build something a bit heavier, it's nice to have a little heft in the riser.   These will be real good for that.

[GREG IN MALAD]

I've seen several hardwood suppliers list green heart as an alternative name for Ipe. Although if the wood isn't medium brown then it isn't Ipe, it seem that there is a dozen names for every south american tree.

[Pete W]

My father used to build Fly rods from Greenheart in the 50's and 60's .

Pete

[don s]

i did a search and it said greenheart is often used in marine applications like pilings due to it's high resistance to rotting. lignum vitae although a different wood is amazing stuff. it's also used for marine applications. ships bearings for example. apparently it is self lubricating.
          don

[Swissbow]

Dick that's awesome ! I agree, you never can have to much of a wood stash for risers or lams. Way to go...  d:-D

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Andy

[rainman]

Green heart can be pretty toxic,  Murray Gaskins used to sell it.  It is not Lignum Vitae or Ipe it is a South American Conifer that can be used for fishing poles or bows.