Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: c persons on June 27, 2006, 01:26:23 am
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Hey first i have to say WOW this new server is really different. OK anyway i bought some deer sinew and was wondering how to use it
if anyone has anything to answer thanks ;D
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I just finished a sinew back Osage yesterday.I save all my back strap sinew and use it for tying on feathers and raps on bows where I have a problem.I clean it and pound it lightly and it worked great on the back of my bow.It went on nice and smooth and the length is nice to work with.
Pappy
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what is backstrap sinew? and i'm buying this sinew in a store its deer sinew (i've heard its not the best but all i can get my hands on).
any other tips and hints are much appreciated.
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Back strap sinew(silver skin) runs along either side of the backbone on a deer(and all animals). You probably bought leg sinews. Both work but being longer, the backstrap sinew is prefered for hafting points and tying down feathers.
You will need to remove the casing from around the sinew, place it on a hard surface and pound it with a hammer until the fibers seperate. These fibers is what you'll want to glue down to the back of your bow. Hide glue, Knox gellatin or Tite-Bond glues will work for the glue.
Maybe someone with more experience will chine in with more info for you. Pat
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The good thing about the back strap is it dosn't require much pounding it's not incased like leg sinew.I don't know if it is quite as the leg but it seems to woke fine and a lot less work.
Pappy
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backstraps work fine and are easier to prepare. leg tendons need quite a bit of work and arent as long but if we were doing this for ease we would all be shooting guns or compounds. i take the leg tendon and pound it with a round rock or heavy piece of wood. this will break up the casing and youll get 4 or 5 nice tendons from the main sinew bundle. take these and pound em again. each of these will also have a casing. beat them so the fibers loosen up . some will pound untill the fibers are all seperated. i do it long enough so i can pull the tendons apart in my hands. dont pull strips from the tendons this just creates more work. i just pull the tendons apart so i have what looks like a hair net made of fine string. i'll post a photo later.
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heres a pic to give you an idea . not the best piece but itll show you what i mean.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/coyotebow/knapping/Picture050.jpg)
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That wasn't very nice Jamie.
Pappy
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what did i say?
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well i don't know how to tell but if its really waxy does that mean its leg sinew not backstrap? and could somebody tell me some uses for sinew?
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persons back strap is long and flat and leg bundles are anywhere from 4-10" long and pretty much a round bundle. sinew is fantastic stuff because if you wet it when it dries it will shrink. so it works great for tieing on points to shafts, feathers to shafts, sewing, backing bows, making strings, trap lines, dental floss ect ect ect.
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It's probably leg sinew,you can use it for backing your bow,tying on feathers or making all kinds of repairs.Be sure and seal it good wherever you use it because it will reconstitute with moisture.
Pappy
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seal it with what???
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I use gun stock tru oil but there are a lot of different sealers as long as it will seal the moisture
out.If you are going to use it on the limbs make sure what ever you use is flexable.
Pappy
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ok ty
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Use caution in pounding the sinew. I actually use an old carving mallet (basically a cylinder of dense wood) and an flattened egg shaped smooth rock. If you use a hammer (steel), or too much force in your pounding, you can actually sever the fibers and waste a lot of material and time.
Sinew is used for nock and point reinforcement and fletching support on arrows; it can and is also used to reinforce suspect areas on a bow. Sinew, when applied to the back of a bow can induce a reflex or hold the shape of a heat bent bow. I have recently sinewed a California type bow and tied a clothes line from nock to nock in reverse bend. I put a rat tail file handle through the center of the rope and twisted to impart more reflex as the sinew cured. I would call this a primitive 'Perry' reflex. I also used sinew to wrap the 'break' nocks at the end. I use sinew exclusively now on my arrow fletching since other man made threads are brittle and have broken on many occasions during use. Sinew is the only material that stands up to being bounced off a rock, tree or whatever...it's one tough customer. I typically cover sinew (after it's completely cured) with rawhide or snakeskin to improve water resistance. I cover that with melted paraffin wax for a finish and clean everything up with pledge after a days shoot. Sinew is tough, requires time and patience to work, lasts a long-long time and is completely natural...what more could anyone ask for? ;D
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Primitive,
Post a pic of that CA bow...I'd like to see it.
Cody,
What kind of sinew do you have? Is it back sinew (a thin, flat sheet) or is it leg sinew (round)?
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Will do but it might be a few days...have to work a whole camera roll down and get it developed. No big deal, I figured I take a bunch of shots of my work area and some of the other projects I'm working on. I have one picture of my "W" or 'orc' bow as I like to call it within the MOJAM subject. This one has purple dyed sinew back that I just repaired and waiting to cure... I have some of my arrows with the coffee dyed sinew fletching work in the arrows area under heat tempering circular saw blades or horn/antler nock question. Cheers, Craig.
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I would like to know if the caseing is also used? I just tried pounding my first deer leg sinew and it all looks the same, with the center a little harder to seperate and what is the smallest you would strip the strands.
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keep pounding and pulling apart! It takes a lot of work to pound sinew and get the threads seperrated out. The casing will look, hmmm, like paper that will come off of the threads with a bit of work.
David T
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If it turns into strands I guess you can use it then.
David