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Bamboo backing

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lignum:
Hello Everybody,

I want to back my bow with bamboo to make him stronger.
The bow is made in ash, 65" long, 1,7" wide by the fade outs and 0,5" by the tips.
he pulls actually 40lbs. Itīs a selfbow with light recurves and has actuall a set of 1"

My questions are:

How thick has to be the bamboo by the fade outs and by the tips?
Which is the best glue?
Should I glue it with stressing the bow in a reflex?
With how many pounds increasing I can messure with the backing?
Anything else?

Thanks in advance
Lignum

Pat B:
  To bamboo back a self bow you will have to decrown(flatten) the back first so you have good surface contact with the flattened bamboo. The bamboo should be about 1/8" at the crown near the handle and can be flat or tapered to the tips. Urac glue or TiteBond glue work well for bamboo backing but others will work also. Perry reflex(added reflex during glue-up) will add considerable weight and performance to your bow.
   Now, after all of that, you would be better off starting a boo backed bow from scratch. You will have better results. Keep your other bow as it is and if it is too weak for you, give it to a friend that doesn't have a bow.     Pat

Justin Snyder:
I like a guy that addresses all the questions before he starts.  :) I have never backed ash with boo.  I think a hickory backing might be a better option.  If you do want to use boo, you want it super thin.  After the profile is cut out, thin it down to razor thin at the edges at the fades and maybe 1/16 or less at the tips.  Anytime I back a bow I add about 3" of Perry reflex.  I like to use smooth on, but any of the glues used for bow making will work for this. Its hard to say how much weight you will add.  How thick is the bow now?  Realistically, by adding a 1/16" backing you could double the weight.  Justin

Justin Snyder:
I guess I could have known Pat would be posting while I was typing.  ;D Justin

lignum:
Thanks Pat,

if I understand it right, I can flat the bamboo to the tips , or let it in that thickness.

I unserstood your idea to start a new bow. O.K. I will think about it and let you know.

Another questions. Does it gives a formular , like the wood for the belly has to be thick about that, that you get roughly 50lbs draw weight bow by using 1/8 bamboo for backing?

Usually I use for my bows ash or locust.

Regards
Roger

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