Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: merriick1990 on September 05, 2011, 04:42:45 pm

Title: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: merriick1990 on September 05, 2011, 04:42:45 pm

Ok so I'm making a red oak board bow and decided I wanna back it with fiberglas tape. My question is when do I back the bow or does it matter? Should I back it right before I start Tillering or should j back I back it after Tillering when it's done.

on a side note, if i was going to do tip overlays on the bow, do i put them on before i back it or after? i put them on after right?

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: Hrothgar on September 05, 2011, 11:10:44 pm

Tyler, you will want to back your bow before you start tillering; and make sure the glue is 100% dry before starting to tiller. The tip over lays can wait until everything else is done.
Eric

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: merriick1990 on September 06, 2011, 12:16:08 am

does it matter that ive done alittle tillering before i backed it? i just got the limbs bending evenly. i didnt do anything as far as the draw weight went. and thanks for the info :)

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: Hrothgar on September 06, 2011, 01:20:58 am

If you are talking like "floor tillering" you can still back it and proceed.

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: merriick1990 on September 06, 2011, 03:53:22 am

i had done some tillering. i ended up backing the bow anyways tho. i still had to thin down the limbs some to hit my target weight so we'll see what happens i guess

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: WolfPupTee on September 08, 2011, 07:06:42 pm

Can I add on to this question please? I don't have sinew to back my pyramid bow with so what can I use?

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: JW_Halverson on September 08, 2011, 07:43:08 pm

Lotsa stuff you can back with.  Brown paper bag and wood glue is a fair backing.  Cotton sheeting works well, too.  Pick the stitching out of a couple of old silk ties (don't use the ones with the hand painted hula dancers - send those to me) and glue those down.  Rawhide works well, too if it is thin. 

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: WolfPupTee on September 08, 2011, 08:24:14 pm

Brown paper bag? No kidding! I guess the wood glue saturates the bag yea? And dries that way. Nice. Thanks. Hula dancers? ;)

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: Pat B on September 12, 2011, 03:15:03 pm

Brown paper bags(almost any paper) is made from wood fibers and can be quite strong when saturated with glue.  Do a little test. Take a piece of brown paper bag and glue both sides to saturate the paper. Give it 24 hours to cure and try to pull it apart, not rip it mind you but pull it like it would be pulled when a bow is drawn.

Title: Re: Backing a pyramid bow
Post by: WolfPupTee on September 12, 2011, 04:21:41 pm

You're right. I forgot what paper was actually made from.