# Backing wood bows



## fflintlock (May 7, 2007)

This came up on another thread, and I did'nt want to hijack the other thread.

 Anyone have any wood bows they need to fix, but don't know exactly how, well I do. 
 I have a white oak flat bow 70" 45 1/2# @28"
It has a small splinter about 8 to 9" above the bottom nock end. It has some type of real thin finish on it, not sure what it is , boiled linseed oil, wax, I don't know, but a small test scrape showed it came off fairly decent. I was thinking about getting some glue in the splinter, to keep that from going any further and backing it with sinew, linen or rawhide. 
 My question is, anyone got any tips or good instructions on this ? 
 I'd kinda like to get with someone and learn first hand so I get it right.
It's not a high dollar bow, (I got it on a trade), I have no idea who even made it,  but I have won a couple of small time primitive shoots with it and would like to keep it alive, if at all possible.
 I know a few of you out there who know how to do this and I await your words of wisdom 
Jerald


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## Nicodemus (May 7, 2007)

Jerald, Ken probably knows more about this than I do, but I`ll throw in a little dangerous info!
 Since sinew is protein, it is only compatible with protein glue, meanin` hide and hoof glue. Also, the bow will need to be cleaned down to pure wood, and the bow back roughed up a little. Apply a coat of glue then a layer of sinew strands. Overlap the strands so none of them are even with each other. do this the length of the bow, then apply another layer of glue over the sinew. Let it dry well and apply another layer of glue-sinew as needed. In this high humidity, it might take a few days to dry and cure well.

Ya`ll feel free to step in and help out here.

A trick you can use-I`ve made it both ways. You can boil your chopped up deer hooves and rawhide scraps down to make glue, or you can mix 3 envelopes of Knox Unflavored Gelatin in 1\2 cup of cold water, then bring to a boil. Take off the heat immediately! You have just made the exact same thing, it also smells the same so do it outside!


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## fflintlock (May 7, 2007)

I wonder how much it will change the draw weight ?


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## Nicodemus (May 7, 2007)

It will up it some, but not as much as you might think. It will speed arrow flight up a though, and make the bow much less likely to break.


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## Bowyer29 (May 8, 2007)

*Linen!*

I would back it with linen if you don't want to change the draw weight. Lightly sand the back to remove the finish, rough the back lightly, like with an 80git piece of sandpaper, and use Titebond II wood glue. Soak the linen and stretch it just the way you want it. Glue dries quickly enough when you squeeze it to the tips. You can leave it to dry in the sun or put it in a hot box, car in the sun, whatever. Trim the excess, refinish with a quality finish, string it and shoot away!

Nick  (we need a shoot with a stickbow)

PS-Rudderbows.com sells all kinds of stuff, like linen strips, cheap!


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## FVR (May 8, 2007)

When you move back up this way just bring it by and I'll fix'r for ya.

Acetone wipe the splinter area to get off the finish.  Then we can use an epoxy, work it up into the crack and under the crack.  While we are doing that I will be making up some hide glue aka knox gellatin and get some long lengths of deer or elk back sinew and we will just wrap it on up.

Works very well, matter of fact did the same thing to the bow I'm shooting now.

Frank


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## fflintlock (May 9, 2007)

I was hopeing you'd say that Frank 
Thanks, I'll give ya a holler when I get up there.
Jerald


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## fflintlock (Aug 8, 2007)

I finaly got this fixed, I beleive any way, seems to shoot alright, but I beleive it do have a little set on the bottom limb. If I could ever find my cable for the camera, (lost during move) I'd post a pick.
 I strung the bow, applied a type of super glue for wood, worked it down in there the best I could and unstrung it then clamped it. 
 I let it set for most of the day. 
 I then took some titebond III and wraped red cotton thread around the splinter out to about a 1/4" or so on both sides, then did the same thing on the top limb.
 I used the titebond again, to wrap hemp twine around the handle of the bow.
 I let it set up another day, well, most of it 
I shot it a few times and it seemed all right, we'll see.
 Since Lewis has offered to teach me how to make a string, I shall for this bow, it has an artificial sinew on it now. I like the sinew, but it needs more body at the nocking point of the string, without adding a whole bunch of serving. 
 Perhaps when I make some self nocking arrows, I'll be all right.
Jerald


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## Lowjack (Aug 16, 2007)

what kind of wood is it ?


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## fflintlock (Aug 20, 2007)

Looks to me like white oak


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