Author Topic: Sanding Rawhide  (Read 1112 times)

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Offline GaryL

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Sanding Rawhide
« on: October 23, 2021, 12:01:16 pm »
I have a question about sanding rawhide after it’s dry on a bows back. I just finished tillering a nice Osage stave and wanted to try my first attempt at a rawhide back with the intention of adding skins after. I chased the ring great with no violations but thought to add the rawhide because of the skins. Well… it worked out okay but I feel the rawhide was a little on the thick side even though it’s deer rawhide and I have some unpleasant marks from application that I want to get rid of before the skins. Is it okay to sand it down a bit when it’s completely dry or would should I just add the skins so I don’t make a bigger mess?

Offline Pat B

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2021, 12:51:03 pm »
You can sand rawhide. With a good back ring rawhide isn't necessary and by adding skins over that you are adding excess physical weight which will take away from the performance.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline PaSteve

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2021, 12:53:28 pm »
You said the back's not violated so in theory the rawhide isn't nevessary for the integrity of the bow. A little sanding should be fine.
"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline GaryL

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2021, 01:43:21 pm »
Thanks, I knew the rawhide wasn’t necessary but I didn’t think I could put skins over the back without rawhide or sinew. In all honesty I also kind of wanted to try my hand at backing for the first time. I guess it’s OK then to go ahead and sand it down a little bit to reduce it and take away any other Tool  marks I had on there

Offline bentstick54

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2021, 10:18:46 pm »
For what it’s worth for future reference, I have 3 osage bows that I glued snake skins directly to the osage back. I sized the bows back with a coat of TB111, then coated both the bow and the snake skin with a thin coat of TB111 and applied. Works wonderfully.

bownarra

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2021, 03:58:19 am »
Yes you didn't need the rawhide so sand it quite thin. It will help the bow a little. Maybe start with 80 grit, remove the meat then go down to 120/240.

Offline Hamish

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2021, 08:08:43 pm »

For future work if your rawhide is too thick you should thin it by sanding the flesh side only before you back your stave.

gutpile

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Re: Sanding Rawhide
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2021, 03:49:04 pm »
well I will never use tb111 on skins again.. works great but if you ever need to remove skins .. forget about it.. I got an osage recurve... bullsnake skinned.. tb111.. I heard a tick the other day and now I can't even inspect the back till I get these skins off.. if it was hide glue I could just heat with heat gun get it started and use water to dilute the glue .. but with titebond Im screwed.. gut