I have a woodlands style 'Sudbury Bow' from hickory and it has a very small dent (about 8 to 9 mm long and very shallow) on it's back area towards
the lower mid-limb and almost upon an outside edge. I intend putting a 100% linen backing upon it. There are 2 solutions I am considering to resolving this
problem, but each solution have advantages and disadvantages of their own.
1. This first solution would be cut some very small linen thread fibers mixed with sawdust and titebond 2, fill the little dent, sand slightly down and and then place linen cloth backing upon the bow over the dent solution.
This might allow me to tiller the bow to it's full weight potential.
Placing a rounded corner upon the bow back could bring the dent partially open again.
Maybe I should round the corner before the dent repair.
2. The second solution would be to smooth-plane the bow back down until the dent is gone.
I would still place a linen backing on the bow.
The disadvantages to this solution are obvious, although cleaner.
It will bring down the overall potential bow weight performance.
It could also end up changing the tiller a great deal, to where more compensations in tiller would be needed on each limb.
I would prefer to use the first solution, if it would work well, or at all.
Any thoughts on the first solution viability?
I would also like any thoughts on the use of a dark backing.
I want to use a dark brown (potting soil color) linen for my backing. I have read somewhere that very dark backings or very dark paint finish work are not as good for a wooden bow as lighter colored ones.
This is more of problem in areas that have hot climates, such as the terrain I live in, and heat absorption becomes damaging to the bow by making the limbs brittle due to that absorption.
If the belly of the bow is painted black, this effect is even worse and supposedly much more pronounced.
I will be using a dark stain on this bow as well. My possible solution to this potential problem is simple. I will use a bow sock of lighter heat reflecting colors while the bow is transported from one place to another. The use of the bow in field should not be much of a problem, I will just minimize as much exposure to the hot weather by using as many shaded areas as I can and this will be good for both me and the bow.
1. This first solution would be cut some very small linen thread fibers mixed with sawdust and titebond 2, fill the little dent, sand slightly down and and then place linen cloth backing upon the bow over the dent solution.
This might allow me to tiller the bow to it's full weight potential.
Placing a rounded corner upon the bow back could bring the dent partially open again.
Maybe I should round the corner before the dent repair.
2. The second solution would be to smooth-plane the bow back down until the dent is gone.
I would still place a linen backing on the bow.
The disadvantages to this solution are obvious, although cleaner.
It will bring down the overall potential bow weight performance.
It could also end up changing the tiller a great deal, to where more compensations in tiller would be needed on each limb.
I would prefer to use the first solution, if it would work well, or at all.
Any thoughts on the first solution viability?
I would also like any thoughts on the use of a dark backing.
I want to use a dark brown (potting soil color) linen for my backing. I have read somewhere that very dark backings or very dark paint finish work are not as good for a wooden bow as lighter colored ones.
This is more of problem in areas that have hot climates, such as the terrain I live in, and heat absorption becomes damaging to the bow by making the limbs brittle due to that absorption.
If the belly of the bow is painted black, this effect is even worse and supposedly much more pronounced.
I will be using a dark stain on this bow as well. My possible solution to this potential problem is simple. I will use a bow sock of lighter heat reflecting colors while the bow is transported from one place to another. The use of the bow in field should not be much of a problem, I will just minimize as much exposure to the hot weather by using as many shaded areas as I can and this will be good for both me and the bow.
