What sinew???

[MoNative]

 Okay all, I am going to be getting some sinew, but what do I get deer leg sinew or deer back sinew? Both are going to be pre processed.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Back is longer and eaiser.

[JW_Halverson]

If this is your first time using sinew for bow backing, I recommend using back sinew.  It is much easier to tease out finer strands than the seemingly endless beating you have to give leg sinews.  If you can afford to be picky, go all back sinew.  But if you have to take what you can scrounge, then do it cheerfully. 

Either way, the more time you spend breaking it down to finer and finer strands, the nicer the sinew backing comes out. 

Good luck.

[MoNative]

What kind of mixing do I do with the wood glue? Or do I just lay down a thin but still solid layer?

[JW_Halverson]

I can't recommend you use wood glue.  Wood glue will set up long before the sinew cures out.  In effect, it will waste the benefit that the shrinkage of the sinew imparts to the bow as the moisture cures out.  Yes, it will back the bow and prevent splinters from lifting.  But if that's all you want, back it with rawhide, silk, light canvas, strips of brown paper bag, or even effing glass. 

If you are looking to improve the tension side of the bow by using sinew, go all the way and use hide glue.  Hide glue shrinks up just like the sinew does and the two work in tandem to "pre-stress" the tension (back) side of the bow.  Most places selling sinews also sells hide glue, but avoid the hide glue in the bottle that you may see at your lumberyard or hardware store.  It has been treated with chemicals to keep it liquid and prevent molding and spoilage.  It's really no longer the same stuff as plain hide glue. 

If you can't find hide glue, go to the grocery store and purchase a package of Knox unflavored gelatin (or the generic version if you are as cheap as me).  It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless hide glue.  The odorless factor is an overwhelming point in it's favor, especially if you have 1 or more female types that inhabit your home.  Trust me on this one.

[M-P]

MoNative,   There are several traditional ways of mixing the glue and sinew together and laying them on the bow.  For best performance I highly suggest using a collagen glue!!!   Knox gelatin, hide glue, fish glue and rabbit skin glue are all examples of good collagen glues.   "Wood" glues, like TT3  will work ( and are preferred by some), but negate some of the benefits of sinew.
Jim Hamm has an excellent description of laying down small glue soaked bundles in a "brick layer's" pattern, this is especially useful for shorter sinew.   Oriental bowyers tended to use longer sinew and make a wider ribbon of sinew to create a whole layer that only overlaps at the handle.   Either way the prepared sinew is gathered into a straight fibered bundle and dipped into the prepared glue.  If your sinew is greasy or very stiff, I find it helps to wash the sinew bundles with a lye soap and then dip in the glue.   The glue soaked bundles should be drawn through the fingers to strip out excess glue and to help straighten the fibers.  Then the bundles are laid on the bow.
It really helps to prepare the bow back first.  The wood must be free of grease or oils and a priming layer of glue helps adhesion.
Hopefully I haven't confused you.   The process is difficult to explain, but easy to do.    Ron

[blackhawk]

Wood glues are dead, but hide(collagen) glues are full of life giving energy.

Use back if you can as stated above.

Try to get to your local library and request traditional bowyers bible..volumne one and two....they will answer a lot of your simple questions with much more detail and help you understand the jargon better.

[MoNative]

Okay guys, just to be sure I have it straight: soak the sinew in water, run through my fingers to flatten, dip sinew in glue, lay on the back of the bow like bricks, and allow to dry. Is that about the situation? 

[M-P]

MoNative,  The soaking in water is optional, though I do it more often than not.  Strip the excess water off and then dip in hide glue.   Then strip off the excess glue and lay on the bow in an over-lapping pattern (like bricks.)   Dry sinew will soften in the glue if you shredded it fine enough.   The glue will gel as it cools and then dry and shrink right along with the sinew.
One more thing.   Hide glue needs to be kept warm during use (~ 100ºF)   If it gets cool it will set like jello.   If you warm it too much the sinew will cook and shrivel.   Cooked sinew is useless ( except for making more glue.)   Ron

[osage outlaw]

Monative, check out this link.  It is from a build-a-long that Patb is doing on a yew recurve.  He has some great pictures and info on sinew backing.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=30029.45