backing a bow with leather in Archery

RSS
Email

0 Points

Forum Jump

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

backing a bow with leather

Author

Comment

youngbowyer

backing a bow with leather

Lead

[-]

Posts: 105

Nov 21 10 5:15 PM

Hi,

I just cut down a birch log that is 8 inch in diameter and i split 2 staves out of it. Im hoping to make a pyramid flatbow out if it around 35 40 pounds.
However i heard that birch is somewhat weak in tension and i dont have any backing material. So i was wondering if i can back it with leather or hemp.

Thanks,Tom.

Advertisement
	Remove this ad Remove this ad

jkekoni

[-]

Posts: 673

Nov 21 10 9:14 PM

Leather is equal to backing with paint.

GetWood

[-]

Posts: 158

Nov 21 10 11:57 PM

I would prefer hemp.. i heard, its equal to flax.

ateallthepies

[-]

Posts: 301

Nov 22 10 11:49 AM

I backed my first ever Ash longbow with leather which was about 1.5 - 2 mm thick.

I am not sure if backing with leather is like backing with paint but mine held up very well despite poor first time tillering, but this could be due to the length of that bow as well?

I did however brush on a flexible varnish thinned down with white spirit for the first couple of coats and then some full coats and this transformed the soft leather into a solid and hard material resembling rawhide.

I wonder if the leather fibres that are reinforced with a glue or varnish make for a superior backing over raw leather?

As for using raw flax, I have backed a short Osage bow with short raw Flax fibres glued sinew style with TB3. IMO it gives a pleasing dark finish to a bows back and if applied correctly is very tough with little stretch. This may be a problem for less compression resistant woods though and may lead to Chrysalling as the belly is forced to compress more to allow for the bending of the limbs.

My Flax backed bow is holding up well though with no problems as of yet. Here is a pic of the Flax backing...

ATB,

Steve.

Last Edited By: ateallthepies Nov 22 10 12:04 PM. Edited 1 times.

zodiac703

[-]

Posts: 162

Dec 1 10 9:35 AM

I know what you mean- flax can stop a bow from breaking, even if you deliberately try to, but it's a compression killer.

DanaMont

[-]

Posts: 315

Dec 1 10 9:42 AM

I think their are better cheap options than leather, I believe leather is to heavy and will add undesirable mass to the bow. You can use heavy brown paper from a grocery bag, denim from an old pair of jeans,
silk from a tie or slip, or my favorite but some linen at a fabric shop. Good luck eh.

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

backing a bow with leather

backing a bow with leather