Birch bark backing

[Doug509]

I'm close to backing a sinew backed Yew bow with birch bark.  Should I use hide glue or some other adhesive?  I'm also curious what side of the bark looks better.  I'm leaning towards the lighter color.  Any suggestions?

[Pat B]

If you used hide glue for the sinew use it for the bark. I'd put the bark on as it came off the tree.

[Chumash]

I think, you should use the bark turned to 90 degrees, if you want to back the bow.
If you want to wrap the bow, you have the right direction.

[Burnsie]

Are there examples of bows that have had birch bark applied to the back of a bow.  I've thought about it often as a decorative look, similar to snake skins.
But I've always felt the birch bark would start cracking/splitting over time with the continual flexing of the bow?
I'll be watching this thread.

[willie]

looks like the bark is too thick in the photos for going over sinew
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,68162.0.html
shows the use of the paperey outer bark

[Robert Pougnier]

I've used birch bark to waterproof a bow backing. It'll work fine with either hide glue or wood glue. If you use hide glue I would size the bark with very thin glue first.

I've applied it perpendicular to the direction you have it, with the side on the outside of the tree for the outside. I split mine less than paper thin using steam and it remained pliant enough to work dry after. I expect thick bark may crack once it's bent.

I've had good luck and plan on doing it again, I think it's a great look! There are some sweet turkish and egyptian bows that were covered with birch. Since paper birch grows in neither region I would assume it's benefit was well worth it.

[Doug509]

The bark I have is already cut vertically in 2" x 40" strips.  I cant flip it 90 degrees.  I pulled it apart into 1mm thick strips.  Its pretty flexible.  Will try to get it thinner if I can. I'll follow everyone's advice and mount it like it grew on the tree with hide glue.  If its a failure I can peel it off and sand it back to the sinew. Ill post my progress.

[Chumash]

You have to look at how the fibers run in the bark.
In this direction, bark is quite tensile strenght and in the other direction it breaks much easier.
In birch and cherry, the fibers run around the tree.
It is also important that the bark is very thin (< 1 mm) for backing. Birch bark can be easily divided into individual layers along the fibers.
Birch bark provides very good protection against moisture when used as backing over sinew. Composite bows were often wrapped entirely in  thin birch bark.
The best glue for the thin bark over sinew is hide glue.
First pic is for elm or hickory or cedar: the fibers in the bark run along the tree
Second pic: the fibers run around the tree ( birch, cherry).

[Chumash]

Some bark projects.

The birchbark for the quivers is very thick (1,5 - 3 mm)
Birchbark for backing or wrapping a bow has to be thin as sheet of paper. The shavings on one of the bark pieces appear right thickness.

[Chumash]

and some Cherry Bark

A DIY Scraper made out of the grip of a cherry bark backed Osage, that was to dry when shooting......
A Grip made of thin and small stripes of cherrybark
A John Strunk Osage with Cherry bark with the joint wraped.
 A Cherry bark backed and wrapped Osage

[sleek]

Some bark projects.

The birchbark for the quivers is very thick (1,5 - 3 mm)
Birchbark for backing or wrapping a bow has to be thin as sheet of paper. The shavings on one of the bark pieces appear right thickness.

Thats some very nice work, did you make those?

[Chumash]

Thanks Sleek,

I made all the bark objects myself, except for the John Strunk Bow 

I based my work on an article in PA from Dr. Grayson and on construction techniques for storage containers made from birch bark.
There are also some interesting weaving techniques using bark—but weaving always ties too many knots in my brain 

Birch bark and cherry bark are excellent moisture protection, either as storage containers, backing, or quivers.

[medicinewheel]

Andy, is that you?

[Chumash]

Yeah.

[Doug509]

Chumash thanks for sharing your birch and cherry bark projects.  Its pretty amazing material.  I still want to make a pukko knife with a stacked birch bark handle.  I finished backing the Yew bow with 0.5mm thick bark.  I put a layer of hide glue on the bark let it dry.  I glued the bark to the limb tips and knock area first to anchor the bark strip on one limb.
Once dried, a layer of hide glue to adhere the rest of the bark from knock to handle.  Quickly wrapped with compression bandage then glued up the other limb.  It turned out really nice.  I just have to clean up the edges wil sand paper and let it dry for a couple weeks.