Osage Mollegabet (sneak peak on pg. 3)

[blackhawk]

I highly recomend rawhide backing just the working limbs and not out onto the levers,because that's such a high stress design that I wouldn't want any other splinters(or worse things)popping loose. Super glue,wrap,then rawhide back,then continue tillering.

[Weylin]

so I should glue it, sinew wrap it and rawhide back it? or is the sinew superfluous if I glue it and rawhide back it? Thanks for taking to time to answer my nit-picky questions. Now to find some rawhide. I'll check the scrap bin at the local leather store first, because I'm a tightwad.

[JW_Halverson]

Local leather store like Tandy will drain your 401K for half a rabbit hide!  We have a guy that advertises in the classifieds right here that sells incredible quality antelope rawhide (and braintan).  He gets something like $40 for a dressed hide plus shipping.  Enough to do at least 6 bows.

His name is Michael Foltmer and he is out of Colorado.  Go check the classifieds for his contact information.  He's a great guy.  Ask BeetleBailey if the hides are any good, I just sent him one.

[PEARL DRUMS]

My opinion is that the crack is tiny and simply glueing it down with super glue, then adding rawhide will hold just fine.  A wrap may be overkill. Rawhide will hold a splinter down even after it pops and pushes up on the rawhide. Its very durable stuff and the layer of TBIII will help.

[Weylin]

That sounds good PD. I wasn't looking forward to using up my little bit of sinew that I had been saving for arrow fletching. Gus is sending me some roo rawhide for the back, thin and tough from what I hear and I will put it down with tb3.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have used Gus' roodhide, sweet stuff.

[Weylin]

Ok, I received Gus's rawhide in the mail. (thanks Gus! ) I've got my crack all glued up with some thin superglue and I'm ready to back it with the rawhide. I read the section of tbbI about rawhide backing so I'm pretty comfortable with the idea of what I'n going to do. I have just a couple questions. Is it necessary to wrap the glued hide with an ace-bandage or equivalent or can it be done well without being wrapped? If I do wrap it how do you keep the bandage from getting glued to the bow in places where there might be excess glue?  the rawhide is a little bit wider than the limbs and I know I will trim it down to fit when it's dry but when the glue is wet and the bow is wrapped up, how do you keep the excess rawhide on the side from sticking to the sides of the limb?

Maybe I'm over thinking all of this and the answer to all of these questions is just to make sure I don't have excess glue coming out the sides but I thought I'd ask and see if there are easy answers.

[JW_Halverson]

Ok, I received Gus's rawhide in the mail. (thanks Gus! ) I've got my crack all glued up with some thin superglue and I'm ready to back it with the rawhide. I read the section of tbbI about rawhide backing so I'm pretty comfortable with the idea of what I'n going to do. I have just a couple questions. Is it necessary to wrap the glued hide with an ace-bandage or equivalent or can it be done well without being wrapped? If I do wrap it how do you keep the bandage from getting glued to the bow in places where there might be excess glue?  the rawhide is a little bit wider than the limbs and I know I will trim it down to fit when it's dry but when the glue is wet and the bow is wrapped up, how do you keep the excess rawhide on the side from sticking to the sides of the limb?

Maybe I'm over thinking all of this and the answer to all of these questions is just to make sure I don't have excess glue coming out the sides but I thought I'd ask and see if there are easy answers.

As you wrap, use a damp sponge or washcloth to wipe off excess glue.  Even then you will have a bit of bandage that sticks.  My Ace bandages are nasty messes from all the glue'ups they have soaked in.  Prolly time to retire 'em and get new. 

The rawhide may dry faster than the glue sets, sometimes an edge will start to curl and shrink.  The wrap is good insurance.  I usually take my wraps off after just an hour.  Then I wipe down the rawhide with a soaking wet sponge to re-hydrate the rawhide.  It plumps the hide again so it loses the texture of the Ace wraps.  I don't like the pattern the wraps leave in the rawhide.  But by this time the TBII or III has plenty of time to set up, though not fully cured. TBII or III resists re-wetting unlike the rawhide. 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Here is my rawhide method: Size the back of the bow with a thin layer of TBIII and let it cure over night. Saok your strips for about 5 minutes while you apply another light, but complete coating of TBIII. Get most of the water out of the rawhide and apply it. Lightly rub air bubble out and align the rawhide. When you wrap the Ace bandages you can either add a little tension and give the rawhide a cool pattern, or wrap very lightly and leave it smooth. Both look sweet. Wait about 3-4 hours and unwrap the bow. Carefully trim the edges close and let it cure over night. Take a 80 grit sanding block and clean up the edges. Wait another 24 hours to be sure all the TBIII underneath is cured and all the moisture is gone. Thats where the sizing the back pays off, less moisture is introduced to the bow itself.

[Gus]

Glad the Rawhide made it Weylin... its my pleasure. 

I do have a question for you though, as I'm building an Osage Molly as well... 
When you chased a ring for the back did you leave your pins and knots proud as normal?
Or do you shave them flat with the back before backing with the rawhide?

Thank You!

-gus

[Weylin]

@Gus, I've got them down to the same growth ring if that's what you mean. This is my first osage bow and my first backing so I bet your guess is better than mine on that one. 

So I sized the back with tb3 and then glued the rawhide down, wrapping it with cloth. i think it turned out pretty nice. I've got the edges cleaned up. How long do I need to wait before I start tillering it again?

[Gus]

I hear ya Weylin,

I had the pins worked down normal, leaving them sticking up above the rest of the back.
Chased down like you mentioned. I was just wondering if I could file them flush under the rawhide.
But impatience took over and I left them alone and just sized the bow last night.

I re heat treated the bow Thursday and took out a bit of string follow to get the pre rawhide side profile I want.
Then I sized it last night.
Gonna glue the rawhide down today.

I'm planning on giving the TB III and rawhide 48 hours to fully cure before I bend the bow.
I will be adding Black Rat Skin over the Roo Rawhide Tuesday or Wednesday before I begin checking post rawhide tiller.

-gus

[PEARL DRUMS]

The tiller wont change a pinch after rawhide is added.

[Weylin]

I just wasn't quite finished tillering the bow. I need to go about 5 more inches before I get to full draw. So I guess what I meant was how long should I wait before I pull the bow. Today it had been curing for 48 hours so I started pulling it. The rawhide's staying put, so that's a good sign.  I'll hopefully get it tillered to full draw soon. Just need to finish that dang paper first. 

[Weylin]

I'm getting close to finished on this bow. I think I've tamed all the nasty cracks. I've put about 100 arrows through it so far and I like how it's shooting. I'm getting excited about how it's going to look but I'm not done prettying it up yet. Here's a pic of me drawing it.