Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: wundabred on September 19, 2010, 01:50:34 pm

Title: processing leg sinew
Post by: wundabred on September 19, 2010, 01:50:34 pm
hi, all:

what is the best method of processing leg sinew...

fastest?

save the most material?

easiest on the fingers?

I find the stuff is very tough and although some separates easily, alot of it simply does not want to come apart and is intensely interwoven.   What do you guys do?

thanks
Title: Re: processing leg sinew
Post by: HoBow on September 19, 2010, 07:03:07 pm
Beat it with a hammer on a 2X4. I've yet to damage any this way and it will separate quite easily.
Title: Re: processing leg sinew
Post by: woodstick on September 19, 2010, 09:13:03 pm
beat it apart to loosing it up then pull it apart by hand, your fingers will hurt when you are done but worth it.
Title: Re: processing leg sinew
Post by: wundabred on September 20, 2010, 08:37:58 am
thanks guys

i tore up about 15 tendons worth today (still have a pile to go), and i agree my fingers are sore and it was worth it
Title: Re: processing leg sinew
Post by: gstoneberg on September 20, 2010, 01:58:09 pm
I had a friend once ask me if there was anything he could help me do with my bow making while he was at his job.  He operated a dredge in a gravel pit and was bored out of his mind sitting there all day with nothing to do.  I gave him a bag of dried tendons.  He pounded and separated sinew for about a week and gave me a box of nicely packaged separated sinew thread and the remainder of my bag of tendons back.  He told me he'd had enough fun and the boredom was looking better.  Can't say as I blame him.  Thankfully, I still have some of his sinew left so I haven't had to pound any recently.  I wish I had more friends like Gary.

George
Title: Re: processing leg sinew
Post by: wundabred on September 20, 2010, 02:50:22 pm
yeeah, i read a thread by tim baker recently where he says, "ive got a bunch of leg tendons around here somewhere, and if i ever meet a  bowmaker i don't like, he can have them!"