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Author Topic: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?  (Read 2668 times)

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Offline Hunter Van Winkle

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How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« on: September 06, 2012, 05:10:10 pm »
I have a bow that I made for someone, it's hickory backed with 2 parallel strips of rawhide. It's uglier than I thought it'd be.

Painting over it is not an option, it needs to be covered up. Should I use some kind of thin cotton material? Perhaps bark?

What would you do?
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Offline Tom Leemans

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2012, 05:12:53 pm »
Why is painting out? BTW ugly depends on your point of view. You call it ugly. I call it character. :D
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Offline boughnut

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2012, 05:21:13 pm »
snake skin, fish skin, patterned cloth, plain cloth with give you the same look.  There is nothing wrong with the look of rawhide though I usually just stain it up a bit or use leather dye with faded colors.  but snake or fish skins is always a great way to go.
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Offline Hunter Van Winkle

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2012, 05:52:46 pm »
The problem is that I used 2 more narrow strips of rawhide side by side lengthwise and I didn't line them up as well as I should have.  If I had 1 wider strip, it would have been much more attractive.

If you were to use cloth, would you cut it to size and then glue it down, or would you oversize it, glue it, and trim it afterwards? What method would give a clean edge?
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2012, 06:55:09 pm »
Try staining it. Super sweet...
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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2012, 10:21:42 pm »
Like Tom said, why not paint it? If you put fabric on it, make it a little too big and trim it, after glue dries. Like Pearl said, stain looks sweet too!!

Tattoo Dave
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Rockford, MI

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2012, 10:46:52 pm »
Wait until tomorrow and check out the stain job that Pearly did on my rawhide backed HHB bow.  It is sweet!
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I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2012, 11:17:25 pm »
If the strips were so narrow that you had to put them down side by side down the length of the bow, I guess I would have done a simple stitch that looked like X's down the joint. 

And then I would have called it "Bow of Frankenstein"
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Offline Hunter Van Winkle

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2012, 01:47:07 am »
I think i'm going to lift the backing and put a wider one on tomorrow. Is goat rawhide too thin?
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Offline Gus

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2012, 02:25:14 am »
Goat Rawhide is good...
I have some that I left the hair on...
Waiting till I find a Real Funky piece of wood to inflict it on... :)

-gus
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2012, 06:01:33 am »
Stick some false eyelashes and lipstick on it...
It'll look fine to most blokes ::).
Del
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Offline Hunter Van Winkle

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2012, 11:00:28 am »
Gus, that sounds like a real wild bow, can't wait to see it :)
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: How can I make this rawhide backing pretty?
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2012, 04:26:19 pm »
Quote from: Del the cat on September 07, 2012, 06:01:33 am
Stick some false eyelashes and lipstick on it...
It'll look fine to most blokes ::).
Del


.....or implants. 

The thinnest of all goat rawhides is still more than strong enough for the job.  You will be good to go!
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.
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