How to sturgeon back a bow

[chamookman]

Well done - exactly how to do it  ! Bob

[bjrogg]

Thanks for sharing. I've never done any fish skins before, but I love the look of sturgeon and would like to try it.
Bjrogg

[upstatenybowyer]

This is awesome aaron, thank you very much for sharing it. I'm bookmarking right now in case I'm ever lucky enough to acquire some skins. They sure are hard to come by.

[jeffp51]

This is perfect timing. I got a pair of skins last summer, and I will be putting them on a bow soon.

[GlisGlis]

thankyou aaron. really interesting
Have you ever tried to tan the sturgeon skins (not for bow backing..)?

[maitus]

I have made shoes from fish skin, and i swear, its much stronger than most of animal skins.

[Dances with squirrels]

When I've put them on, I dyed the surface of the bow even when the darker piece of skin, the piece above the lateral line, was used because even it can have patchy areas that vary in color, i.e. darker or more transparent. Dying the bow before putting the skins on makes for a more consistently dark background, which makes the white spots on the skin stand out better.

[aaron]

thankyou aaron. really interesting
Have you ever tried to tan the sturgeon skins (not for bow backing..)?

no, but I hope to do some bark tanning on them this summer.

[Bryce]

That’s a white sturgeon....

oops! correct-a-mundo!

Lol come on man you know better😁😎 looks good! It does look like you’re fleshing salmon/stlhd skin with a drawknife I think it got mixed it, same working principle I guess.
 I love how much sturgeon skins shrink. The only downside is the edges always try to peel up with a vengeance!

[jeffp51]

Bumping this for selfish reasons. I'll need it soon and I don't want to lose it.

[Sagebrush]

Ok.... I'll  head down to the Columbia and try and pick up a slot sized surgeon. This is definitely on my bow to do list. Thank you for posting this.

[Mountain Man1]

First off that is amazing! True craftsmanship. I can't help wondering how hard it would be to use scutes for your knocks or if they would even be recognizable after shaping? hmmm I may to get some sturgeon skin...

[jeffp51]

Just one question:  I plan to glue sturgeon skins to a sinew backed bow.  It seems like hide glue would be a better option for me.  your How-to shows using tite-bond wood glue.  have you ever tried it with hide glue?  would there be different considerations, or a different process at all if you did?

[Stoner]

Thank you for the great build-a-long. I always wanted to do a sturgeon backed bow when I was still in Michigan. But, no sturgeon in Oklahoma. John

[aaron]

Just one question:  I plan to glue sturgeon skins to a sinew backed bow.  It seems like hide glue would be a better option for me.  your How-to shows using tite-bond wood glue.  have you ever tried it with hide glue?  would there be different considerations, or a different process at all if you did?

I've never used hide glue, but I believe it would work and the same method should apply.