Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Pat B on October 14, 2014, 11:55:37 am
-
Today is a nice rainy day(tornado threat) so I thought I'd start the sinewing of Gidget. I started out by getting everything ready and in place. I started by adding hide glue granules to warm water and floated it in the water in the crockpot...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed004_zps8fc579b9.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed004_zps8fc579b9.jpg.html)
I got the bundles of sinew ready...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed005_zps75bb72e6.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed005_zps75bb72e6.jpg.html)
I scratched up the back of the bow with a hacksaw blade. You can see the grooves in the wood. Not too deep but enough to help hold the sinew/hide glue...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed001_zpsdbd27446.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed001_zpsdbd27446.jpg.html)
Now for the cleaning of the bow. I wet it with warm water...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed006_zps053e3e5b.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed006_zps053e3e5b.jpg.html)
...then wash it well with Dawn dish soap...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed007_zpse6f44f20.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed007_zpse6f44f20.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed008_zps2ce07696.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed008_zps2ce07696.jpg.html)
...and rinse the soap off by pouring boiling water over each limb then it's ready for the sinew.
-
...pouring the boiling water...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed009_zps42321818.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed009_zps42321818.jpg.html)
I then sized the back of the bow with hide glue to insure good adhesion...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed010_zpsa6790a37.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed010_zpsa6790a37.jpg.html)
You will see I strung the bow backwards so it will draw up easier in reflex as the sinew dries...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed011_zps55425ef2.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed011_zps55425ef2.jpg.html)
I soak the sinew in warm water first then squeegee out the excess water, dip it in the warm hide glue and squeegee off the excess hide glue. I then lay a strip of sinew down the center of the bow starting at the handle and working out each limb. You want the sinew to cross the handle so the sinew backing is continuous...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed012_zps4ac6d6cc.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed012_zps4ac6d6cc.jpg.html)
...now I lay the sinew along both sides of the center sinew to fill out the back...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed013_zps9505c088.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed013_zps9505c088.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed014_zps84a68747.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed014_zps84a68747.jpg.html)
I'll let this cure out for a few days before continuing. Once the sinew becomes transparent I will be able to see any area that might be thin so I can add more sinew to fill out the backing to a more even layer.
To Be Continued!
-
Looks great Pat. Nice How-to.
-
Looks like I better go buy about ten+ family sized boxes of popcorn..cause its another patb sinew build along and its gonna take awhile ;)
-
Great pics of the process !
but please help us that are not sinew folks to grasp how to get things started
How do we get granules of hide glue
how much liquid do we add
How do we process sinew
Ect Ect Ect
Thanks
-
Looks good Pat. Been awhile since I've sinewed a bow, I can see that I've not missed a thing. You say you used cow sinew. I found cow tendons to be very oily. Did you clean those as well?
-
Marc, this cow sinew came to me already shredded and was not greasy at all but yes I do normally degrease the sinew by washing it in warm soapy(Dawn) water then rinse in warm water.
Guy, Glenn Doane gave me this tin of hide glue but I have seen it in art supply catalogs. You could Google it.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed016_zps8f9d9583.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed016_zps8f9d9583.jpg.html)
Yeah, Chris, this build along will go on for a couple of months so you better get some cold beer to go along with that popcorn. ;)
Thanks Clint.
-
thanks Pat, looking great, I want to try the hide glue,, I have a feeling it is a better quality,,
-
Brad, I've used this glue on 4 or sinew backed bows. I prefer it over Knox or other glues.
-
I'm glad, you take the time doing that buildalong, Pat. and yes, it looks good so far.
Always interesting what others do on the same job. Difference to me is: I use meanwhile oven cleaner spray for de-oiling osage, works great. Second I apply a lot more sinew in one layer ( about 2x or 3x). All other steps the same.
I will watch with interest how you go on.
-
Thanks Simon. It is interesting to see the same results using different methods. I've had sinew lift off the back od osage bows so I started using the dish soap and boiling water. Never had the problem again. I guess the oven cleaner is lye. Some folks scrub with wood ash which becomes lye when wet.
-
Nice build-along Pat some great detail like the boiling water rinse... I wouldn't have thought of that.
i have some sinew... it's just the pounding and stripping it out doesn't fill me with excitement when there are so many other bows to build.
Not sure Mrs Cat :-* would want me messing up the kitchen table either.
Del
We're just off to Crete for a week, so no bow making for me... it'll be tough but I'll man up :laugh: ::)
-
what ever soap you use, the boiling water is key on osage
-
This reminds me of a similar post last year about this time that inspired me to do a sinew backed osage I ended up making and hunting with this year.
Pat, now when I'm setting in that deer stand waiting for that deer to commit suicide, I'll be thinking of this post. I'll be ready to start that sinew backed ERC I've been thinking about the very next day of the last day of deer season.
Great post and thanks for taking the time to do a build along, I know how much thought it takes to do one. I'll be keeping my eye on this one.
By the way Blackhawk, maybe Pat will help you out. :)
Till next time
DBar
-
Very cool to see the steps you take to prepare everything and apply the sinew. Thanks for sharing your methods Pat, one day I'll quit being lazy and do a sinewed bow myself :D. When that day comes I'll have a clear layout of the process to look at in this post.
-
I just took this pic of Gidget to show the sinew drying. You can see the transparent areas. Tomorrow the whole backing will look like that. I started the sinew process about mid morning today and took this pic about 7pm this evening. It seems to be drying pretty good. The strange thing is we have had heavy rain all day. About 4.5" already and our house is not air conditioned. The front door was open all day. I guess until the M/C of the sinew matches the M/C or the air it will keep on drying.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/caed4a8e-e4e3-4990-9ea0-01244bb6310a_zpsd4ae4d31.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/caed4a8e-e4e3-4990-9ea0-01244bb6310a_zpsd4ae4d31.jpg.html)
-
Looks like I better go buy about ten+ family sized boxes of popcorn..cause its another patb sinew build along and its gonna take awhile ;)
I'm beginning to agree with Chris... :) Yes this may take a while... :) ;)
DBar
-
Pat,
I was just wondering if it is possible to "speed" dry a sinew backed bow. I've heard good and bad things about "speed" drying (dry box) staves. just wondering? do you have any experience with it?
Bill
-
Pat, I see the red streaks you were talking about after you applied the hide glue. Looks like an excellent start ;)
Don
-
Pat,, do you know about how much the sinew weighed before you put it on,, or how many grains of sinew you applied,,??? will you put more layers or is that the amount that will be on the finished bow??
-
Interesting. I have yet to sinew a bow. Will have to give it a try soon. Thanks for doing this!
-
Pat what did you think about that sinew compared to deer sinew.
-
Looking great Pat. I would have never thought to wash it under the sink with dawn. I like it
-
This is great Pat, thanks for all the pictures, love em!
-
Rob, I love the cow sinew....especially since you had already shredded it. ;D This is my third sinew backed bows with it. Thanks again.
Brad, I didn't weigh the sinew. I just put down one course, let it cure until transparent and fill in the thin spots with a second course and if necessary smooth out with a third course.
Bill, you probably can speed dry sinew. I doubt that a sinewed bow ever cures out completely in humid areas. In dry climates it can increase in weight for a year or more as it dries/cures.
Once I've added all the sinew I'll place the bow over our hot water heater for 3 to 4 weeks, add a snake skin cover and place it back for another couple of weeks. I prefer a long cure time, others take a shorter route.
Matt, you should have seen the yellow water running down the drain. I like using the Dawn wash and boiling water rinse because it "wets" the wood and I think it helps the hide glue sink into the wood better.
Stay tuned James.
-
...and at 9am this morning after over 5" of rain yesterday. You can see how much moisture she has lost overnight.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/a2eb6051-c28a-4ca7-aa8c-d8fd3f14fb56_zps227c80dc.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/a2eb6051-c28a-4ca7-aa8c-d8fd3f14fb56_zps227c80dc.jpg.html)
-
That's what I was thinking when I saw it. Crazy the water was turning yellow :)
-
Looking good Pat,so you got rain also. :o ;) :) Man that is all it has done here for the last 10 days and still today,suppoed to clear some the rest of the week. :)
Pappy
-
this is gonna be awesome 8)
-
thats looking great,, thanks for the info
-
And here she is with the second course of sinew just added. After she sets up for a day or so I'll put her up over our hot water heater to cure for a month or so.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Gigetgettingsinewed002_zps14e6bf9a.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/Gigetgettingsinewed002_zps14e6bf9a.jpg.html)
-
Pat, thanks for the build along...I have never sinew backed and this is interesting...That red streaked Osage is some hard stuff and with the sinew that should be a Deer Slayer for sure 8)
Don
-
Can't wait man.
-
Very nice Pat. Are you going to wrap it like I saw in one of your old post? Can't wait to see the results. I'm planning on doing a reflex/deflex bendy handle very shortly myself.
Do you floor tiller your bows or full tiller them before adding the sinew? Thanks, Patrick
-
Patrick, I did not wrap this bow. Once the hide glue gelled I used my thumb to flatten it out somewhat. I tillered this bow out to 40#@20" before adding the sinew. I made one sinew backed bow by fully tillering the bow first and another one after getting to floor tiller but I think I prefer to tiller out a bit first then add the sinew.
-
Thanks Pat, I think I will try that this time. I just floor tiller ed my last one and didn't get any reflex out of it. Patrick
-
Nice B-A-A Pat. I've used cow sinew quite a bit, lately. It works well for me. In fact, that snakey bow of yours is of cow sinew. So I'm curious, Gidget? Hope all is well. Looking forward to your progress.
-
Thanks Matt. All is well here. Hope so for you and your gang too. Gidget was a belly split from the stave I made Island Girl from, Island Girl's little sister.
-
very very cool
chuck