how to sinew back a bow


It would probably take 6 to 10 whitetail leg tendons to back that length of bow. 21 Soaking the sinew in the glue. It looks good and it is very durable. By the way, you probably want to do this in the kitchen or somewhere that has a good supply of water. Some people … 22 Heating the back of the bow before applying the sinew. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Apr 2, 2019 - Explore Val's board "Sinew Backed Bows" on Pinterest. Wrap both ends and set the bow aside for an hour to dry. 2. A layer of deer sinew on the back of the bow should eliminate the string follow and give the bow more snap. 23 Laying the sinew down on the back of the bow. Pictured below: Finished bow, From → Archery, Primitive, Weapons, Primitive, This is a vary good guide thanks for taking the time to do it. As a side issue, one of the key features of sinew which makes it so superior as a glued bow backing is the fact that when glued to the back of a bow in the wet state it is elongated and as it dries it shrinks, putting it under considerable tension. Pictured below: Leather grip glued and sewn in place, And here is the finished product, strung and ready to wreak havoc on the neighborhood cats. On this bow I decide to use tanned deerskin for the grip. Mix a batch of epoxy in a cup. Do another bungle and lay it up so that it just overlaps the end of the first bundle. A cable will relieve tension stress from the back of the bow by raising its neutral plane: the border between the back of the bow that stretches … 13 Things You’ll Wish You had when Your Smart Phone is Useless. So, back to sinewing. Change ), Common sense preparedness for sensible people, Food Storage, Food Preparation and Recipes, Home Power, Heat, Light, and Communications. Let the polyurethane dry over night and then there is one last thing to do. As the sinew dries it shrinks and you will probably see the bow begin to pull into a slight reflex. Paint it with a coat of glue and set it aside to dry. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The handle will be glued to the back of the bow and not to the belly as with self-bows. A knock is a notch in the back of an arrow that straddles the bow string. It usually doesn’t make a great difference, so only a little tillering will be required. Bowstring. If you can find a grocery store, buy some knox gelatin, I find it indistinguishable from hide glue except that is is easier to … It dried very quickly that way. Sinew backed hickory would be an ideal combination for a dry climate, but less than ideal for a humid climate. Pictured below: Bow with sinew backing in place If you are going to put a second layer of sinew on the bow it is best to let the first layer set up for an hour before you start the second … The bow is placed inside a conditioning box which is insulated and heated. Hide glue is a chemical match for sinew and creates a well bonded layer of "composite" sinew and hide glue. Pictured below: Applying the second bundle, Keep extending your line of bundles down the center of the bow until you reach the end, then lap the last bundle over the end and about an inch and a half down the belly (the side of the bow that faces you when you are shooting). Pictured below: Bow with sinew backing in place. So the bows of the horsemen have been sinew- backed, they had to be made rather short for a better handling on a horse´s back. Once the back is sinew-covered, let it dry awhile, then apply two or three more … When the sinew wraps are dry you can trim off the excess sinew that is lapped over onto the belly of the bow. So the bows of the horsemen have been sinew- backed, they had to be made rather short for a better handling on a horse´s back. You will be washing your hands continuously to get the sticky rawhide glue off of them. The bow, with horn attached, is further shaped by drawknives and sanding; The prepared sinew is soaked in fish glue and carefully placed onto the … The bow is allowed to dry. That is Northen prairie "double curved", "swallowtail" stile bow. Pictured below: Bow with dried sinew backing, The first thing that we will do is to wrap the tips with sinew to keep the backing from coming lose at the tips. I usually give mine two weeks because I’ve put too much work into the bow to have it ruined by impatience. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Apr 2, 2019 - Explore Val's board "Sinew Backed Bows" on Pinterest. See more ideas about bows, wooden bow, wooden. Pictured below: Folding sinew over the tip and onto the belly, Now you can start your second course of bundles. I did the initial drying between tillerings by sticking the bow in the back window of my car in the direct July sun, an idea suggested by Paul Comstock (3). Nice long strands of back sinew for sewing, wrapping and many other uses. Both sinew and hide glue shrink while drying and do add performance to a bow. Well, that is northen prairie style bow, "double curved", "swallowtail". 26 After gluing the sinew is left to dry for three months. Cover the entire back of the bow with the sinew, and try to make a smooth job of it, staggering the ends of the strands to avoid making seams. Check out the deal on Back Sinew at 3Rivers Archery Supply. That is the easiest and cheapest route for using individual fibers to back a bow. Tendons (sinew) are found throughout the body of mammals. You can just take a few strands of sinew and chew on them for a minute. Reduce mid-limb width to 1 3/4". Of course rawhide is mighty easy too. Apply the second layer just as you did the first layer. I think it's better to have sinew lying flat and straight. 1. A quick run down on sinew backing a self bow. Flax fibers can be had for very reasonable pricing and are very good for backing. Now the bow is essentially finished so we are going to apply a good coat of polyurethane to seal the wood and protect the sinew from moisture. ( Log Out /  Menu; ... Quivers Detachable Bow Quivers Limb Bolt Bow Quivers Riser Insert Bow Quivers Back Quivers Catquivers Hip & … ( Log Out /  In other words, you want to lay them like you are laying bricks so that the joints don’t line up. Pictured below: Starting the second course of sinew, Keep running new courses of sinew until you have completely covered half of the bow, and then you can start on the other half of the bow and follow the same procedure. It hampers the ability of the sinew to shrink as it dries and slows down the bow. See more ideas about bows, wooden bow, wooden. Rub it with your finger to flatten it out. When you process the stuff its going to look like you have quite a bit. When you have the entire back covered with sinew, paint a coat of rawhide glue onto the backing and set the bow aside to dry. It's fairly easy to find short clean staves. The chewing and the enzymes in your saliva will soften the sinew and activate the natural glue in it. Tightbond is a very poor choice for sinew backing. Table 1: Material Properties . They’re what allow the impulses of the muscles to move the skeletal framework of the body. If you string or bend the bow before the sinew is completely dry, the sinew will separate from the wood and you will have nothing. 24 Smoothing the sinew onto the bow back. So, let’s set our bow aside to dry for a week, and then we’ll finish it out. This is the case in the sinew- backed wooden … You may even want to just leave it in the glue for thirty seconds or so to make sure that it is soft. Drying time varies and can take weeks to months. What’s the difference between sinew and tendon?That’s easy. These little fiber bundles are what you’re looking for. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 22 Heating the back of the bow before applying the sinew. A cable-backed bow is a bow reinforced with a cable on the back. sinew backing, wooden bow, So now we have everything organized so let’s start sinewing. Sinew stings are very nice and very authentic, but they require considerable care. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 23 Laying the sinew down on the back of the bow. The two ingredients necessary to sinew back a bow are sinew fibers from the leg or back tendons of animals, and hide glue (which can be prepared from raw materials or purchased). On the next bow, narrow the tips to under half an inch. The first thing that we will do is to wrap the tips with sinew to keep the backing from coming lose at the tips. Phil, most guys that shoot short sinew bows will brace the bow, put it over here knee adjust the braced tiller then go have fun, next time you shoot it will change again, you might end up just tillering it death. If you really work it down fine and just put on a thin layer, maybe 5. When you lay it down you'll thnk it is pretty thick. So, don’t skip this step. 27 Preparing to put birchbark over the sinew. To use the sinew to, for example, tie on an arrow head; all you have to do is pop a piece in your mouth and chew on it a little. Each sold separately. Pictured below: Bow tip wrapped with sinew, Next we need to make a string. ( Log Out /  After careful measuring and cutting, I punch holes in the grip, apply some glue, and sew the grip in place. Coat the sinew with melted pine sap or carpenter’s glue and let it dry. This is the case in the sinew- backed wooden bows of the Plains Indians. They add little mass. Wrap both ends and set the bow aside for an hour to dry. That might be why it broke at that knot. If the back of the bow is not clean when you sinew it, the sinew may separate from the wood when you draw the bow. The cable is made from either animal, vegetable or synthetic fibers and is tightened to increase the strength of the bow. Pictured below: Applying polyurethane to the bow, It is by no means necessary, but a nice leather hand-grip gives the bow a finished look. A rough wooden surface for the fiberglass to stick to is necessary. As the sinew dries and shrinks it puts the back of the bow under compression. When you have the entire back covered with sinew, paint a coat of rawhide glue onto the backing and set the bow aside to dry. Take a bundle of sinew between your fingers and dip it down completely into the warm glue. Pictured below: … Heirloom Cranberry Bean Seed from Wal-Mart? Both types of shafts should be wrapped with sinew or strong thread to strengthen the knock. Some bows have an extreme reset in the handle, but I settled on ca. Backing a hickory bow can be redundant and unnecessary. Historically the bows of the Plains Indians and hornbows have been sinew backed. Historically the bows of the Plains Indians and hornbows have been sinew backed. Pictured below: Bow with dried sinew backing The first thing that we will do is to wrap the tips with sinew to keep the backing from coming lose at the tips. 20 degrees because more reset would stress the limb-handle connection more and make the bow unstable. Now comes the hard part. The bow … If you are going to apply more than two layers of sinew the first two layers must be allowed to dry completely before you add any more. From → Archery, Primitive, Weapons, Primitive. You can just take a … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Remove all finish, such as linseed oil or varnish, from the bow's back with 80-grit sandpaper. You want to lay these up right next to the first course but place them so that they are staggered in relation to the first course. Sinew might be the perfect natural backing… It would tend to be as tough as rawhide, with near the tension protection of linen, with the added benefit of shrinking reflex into the bow. primitive archery, primitive bow, sinew backed bow, sinew. The first step in preparing a bow for sinew backing is to thoroughly wash the back of the bow with detergent to remove any oils that might be on the bow. 13 Things You’ll Wish You had when Your Smart Phone is Useless. Sinew backing a tillered bow has worked for me, but I do have a bit of advice. It will take the sinew at least a week to dry out. Heat box. 25 Curing the glue and sinew over a flame. Pictured below: Laying on the … When I made my first bow, I strung it with a … I like to start in the center of the bow at the handle with my first bundle and then work a straight line out to one end of the bow; so take your first bundle, lay it down on the bow back in the center of the handle, and press it down flat. You can use them to back a bow, make a bow string, sew leather together, tie on arrowheads etc. I physically weighed that thing every other day to gauge whether all the moisture had left the sinew, and it took that long before it … It makes no sense at all to back a bow longer than 55″. Approximately 12" long. The bow may require a little re-tillering after it is backed. As a consequence, the wood fibers on the back of the bow are not stressed as highly when the bow is drawn. Since this bow is for a little boy I am going to make the string out of waxed Dacron. When you have the entire back covered with sinew, paint a coat of rawhide glue onto the backing and set the bow aside to dry. Hickory is used for backing strips because it is VERY tension strong. ( Log Out /  The West Coast bows did generally also have backs treated this way. ( Log Out /  You can just take a few strands of sinew and chew on them for a minute. Start with a small batch, such as a half-cup, because epoxy starts to cure once mixed. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Apply sinew all the way to the tips of the limbs, then fold about 2" over to the belly side to strengthen the tips. Pictured below: The bow that I will be sinewing To sinew back a bow you will need the following: A wooden self bow (see posts of January 25 through February 15, 2009 on how to make a wooden bow) … Cover the entire back of the bow with the sinew, and try to make a smooth job of it, staggering the ends of the strands to avoid making seams. ( Log Out /  It makes no sense at all to back a bow longer than 55″. I let the last sinew backed bow I did sit for about 1.5 months, and I stored it on top of a cabinet where I knew the AC vent was blowing on it to keep air moving across it. No matter how carefully you apply the sinew, you are going to get a little more on one side than the other. If you are going to put a second layer of sinew on the bow it is best to let the first layer set up for an hour before you start the second layer. Pictured below: Bow with sinew backing in place . ( Log Out /  Nice long strands of back sinew for sewing, wrapping and many other uses. 21 Soaking the sinew in the glue. primitive bow, sinew, sinew backed bow, sinew backing, wooden bow, It’s been two weeks and the sinew on our bow is completely dry, so now it’s time to finish it out. The first step in preparing a bow for sinew backing is to thoroughly wash the back of the bow with detergent to remove any oils that might be on the bow. If your bow was stiff-handled, 55" is too short for a 26" draw. Reed shafts should be cut just under half an inch below a joint to create a strong nock. Pictured below: Dacron string. The chewing and the enzymes in your saliva will soften the sinew and activate the natural glue in it. The wood is mulbery. Pictured below: Laying on the first bundle of sinew, You’re on your way. You can use them to back a bow, make a bow string, sew leather together, tie on arrowheads etc. If you are going to put a second layer of sinew on the bow it is best to let the first layer set up for an hour before you start the second layer. If the back of the bow is not clean when you sinew it, the sinew may separate from the wood when you draw the bow. Heirloom Cranberry Bean Seed from Wal-Mart? Swish it around a little to make sure it is completely saturated with glue. When the sinew wraps are dry you can trim off the excess sinew that is lapped over onto the belly of the bow. 3. 27 Preparing to put birchbark over … Appendix Apply sinew all the way to the tips of the limbs, then fold about 2" over to the belly side to strengthen the tips. The Horn Bow Receives Sinew. ‘Tendon’ is what we call it when it’s in the body; livin… Rub it with your finger to flatten it out.