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Plant fiber backing questions

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Aaron1726:
Hi all, I'm curious about plant fibers, more specifically dogbane, as a backing.  I've messed with it once before, but no idea if I did it right.  For anyone that's done something like this, what was your process for application?  And how thick did you get the fibers?  I appreciate any experience yall could share.  Thanks

bjrogg:
I’m sorry I can’t help. The only thing I ever backed a bow with was rawhide.

I saw the post you put the dogbane on and it looked like you did a pretty decent job of it.

I have know idea how it works.

I’m thinking if I were to go through that much effort I would probably use sinew instead. It shrinks tight and has elastic qualities.

Let us know how you like it

Bjrogg

joachimM:
I use plant fibers quite a lot, mostly flax and sisal.
Flax is easily available here (Belgium), and we have really excellent quality.
Sisal is a bit coarser, but also more elastic. We have single ply hay bale cordage that I untwine, wash and comb, cut into 25-30 cm pieces or so, and apply onto the back with hide glue just like you would do with sinew. It needs to be quite a bit more tacky for sisal than for sinew.
I generally pull the bow into reflex for sisal, to pre-tension the fibers. Not for flax.
After it has gelled I wrap the bow with bicycle inner tube very tightly and I heat it with a heat gun to liquefy the gelled glue and press out the excess glue from between the inner tube wrappings.
This works fine for me.

See earlier post here
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,52986.0.html
I've built a handful of sisal-backed bows meanwhile (works really well with elm!), will shortly back a few more.

Aaron1726:
Thanks for the replies guys!

joachimM, that is very interesting about the sisal.  I wound not have thought of it being stretchy like that.  I have a spool of sisal twine in the garage I use to tie up tomatoes, I think I might have to try it out!  My method for the dogbane seems very similar to yours for the sisal just that I used tb3 instead of hide glue.  I also didn't add any reflex, I assume dogbane would be similar to flax from a stretch standpoint?

I understand that its not gonna beat sinew, but from a learning standpoint I feel better using the plant fibers on my less than great bows I'm doing right now.  I will be saving up sinew for when I feel I've made a bow worthy of it  :)

I will keep at this one with the dogbane and post how it turns out.

 Thanks again

willie:

--- Quote from: joachimM on February 04, 2023, 06:13:27 pm --- I untwine, wash and comb, cut into 25-30 cm pieces or so, and apply onto the back with hide glue just like you would do with sinew. It needs to be quite a bit more tacky for sisal than for sinew.

--- End quote ---

Joachim, do you soak  or soften the sisal before application with the hide glue?

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