Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: rdb on June 21, 2007, 01:36:34 pm

Title: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: rdb on June 21, 2007, 01:36:34 pm
Hello,

Is it possible to heat the tips of a sinew backed bow and add a slight recurve to the last 6"?

To give an idea, the bow in question is made from yew and at the nocks, it is 7/8" wide and about 3/16" thick. It is lenticular in shape and shaped/sized very similarly to an Ishi bow. The sinew is wrapped over the nocks and runs down the belly about 2". I sinew backed it on Sat.

Thanks,
rusty

Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: Pat B on June 21, 2007, 02:18:24 pm
Rusty, You could remove the sinew from the non bending portion of the tips to heat and recurve them. If you do this, just put a sinew(or other) wrap around the end if the sinew so it won't pull off.
   Heating the tips enough to bend them would ruin any sinew that was near the heat.   Pat
Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: rdb on June 21, 2007, 03:04:05 pm
Heating the tips enough to bend them would ruin any sinew that was near the heat.   Pat

That's what I was afraid of. I think I'll just leave the bow as is and try to get it right on the next one.

Thanks for the speedy reply.

rusty
Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: Marc St Louis on June 21, 2007, 05:08:39 pm
You can heat a sinew backed bow with enough dry heat bend slight recurves into the wood. You have to be very careful though and monitor the temp on the back. When you have done the bending you want to do you need to cool things quickly because the heat keeps on travelling down into the wood, the belly gets hotter than the back so keep something handy that will do this. I have used a snow filled cloth to do this in the Winter
Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: RAU on June 22, 2007, 03:17:51 pm
You can make surprising corrections to sinew backed osage bows with dry heat from a heat gun. Ive done it few times. Just heat enough to make your bend and no more,  go slow and easy
Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: TRACY on June 23, 2007, 01:24:33 am
I recently used a heat gun(conservatively) on the belly to re-align nock ends to center and the sinew stayed and didn't pull up like I thought it might. As said before, heat just what you're wanting to bend and nothing more and it should work. Good luck.
Title: Re: Can you bend tips after sinew backing?
Post by: rdb on June 25, 2007, 01:40:29 am
Sounds like a delicate procedure. Not sure I have the confidence to try it. We'll see. Thanks, everyone.

rusty