dog bones a reliable source of rawhide?

[blades7558]

hey i just saw a post by venomBOWslinger saying that he used rawhide dog bones to back his bow. im sending him a pm about it but i'd really like your opinions on this cause ive been looking for a good, reliable and cheap natural backing.

[zenmonkeyman]

I've used em 2wice now with good results.  The local store has bones that are about 16" long, when you soak and untie the knots on the ends its about 2wice that.  I buy the thinnest rawhides I can find, they're brown and almost see-thru.  It may be what they call clarified rawhide?  After it's good and soft from soaking, I cut it into strips about 50% wider than what I want, then I do my best to stretch the heck out of it by working it back and forth over a corner in the wall.  I pat it dry(ish) and coat it good with Knox gelatin before securing it at the nock, stretching it as tight as I can and taping it in place.  I put a wrap of masking tape on at regular intervals to hold it down while I wrap the works with cotton string.  When it's all dry a couple days later, I do the other limb with generous overlap in the handle area.

Works for me.

[VenomBOWslinger]

ZENMONKEY thats exactly how I do it as well I use masking tape and stretch it as I work and wrap to the tips.  I use the medium sized white ones they are thick in spots but once dried its easily sanded out!  They are cheap and right down the road.  I love using them and I have made bows that I overdrew them to well over 34'' and not cracked or broke!  I found an article awhile back about finding local materials and I went out on a limb and tried it.  I wont waste my time or money ordering it I feel that the prepping of the dog bones and cutting to size and such to be more fun and a challenge as well.  The downside to it is unless u get clarified u wont be able to see the grain in the wood.  Lastly I try and step out of the realm of the same old everyday materials.  There is nothing wrong with using them I just like the challenge of making things work with different materials.  Have a good day!!!

Russ/Venom

[Del the cat]

I've only done it once on my '1 hour bow' I used the whiteish opaque stuff it worked fine, I bound it down with string as it was drying which left an impression in the hide, but it looked quite funky.
It certainly protected the back of the bow which I have seriously abused just to see what it would take....the belly is very chrysalled now.
I certainly found it a nice material to work with, now't wrong with getting wet and slippery.
Being rather cold when I did it didn't seem to give probs, the hide glue was gelling as the raw hide was being bound down, so I gave it a waft over with a hotair gun just to re-flow the glue once it was all bound. It turned out very solid.
Del

[hillbilly61]

What kind of glue is it? and do you just overlap the pieces?

[blades7558]

sweet thanks you guys cause i have been looking for a good way to back bows. one of my patients today told me to drop his name at the local meat packing place. so i might be able to get a hold of a lot of cow sinew soon cross your fingers for me!