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Author Topic: rawhide question  (Read 1509 times)

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Offline darwin

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rawhide question
« on: January 25, 2013, 02:10:23 pm »
what weight / thickness of rawhide do you typically use when backing a bow? Or does it even matter?
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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2013, 02:25:04 pm »
Thinner is better.  For example, deer or goat, rather than elk or cow.    You can reduce thickness with a scraper or belt sander, but to do that without creating very thin spots here and there is difficult.
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"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2013, 02:26:45 pm »
I clamp each end of the strip down and use 80 grit on a sandng block to evenly thin it. Its take some elbow grease, but its worth it.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2013, 02:34:42 pm »
something like the thickness of paperboard is pretty good, maybe a bit thicker for a high draw weight bow, but i think that anything under 60 will probably be fine with paperboard thickness, thats the thickness used on an ERC i did, and the backing held and yet the wood blew before the backing, it was close to 50 lbs.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2013, 04:20:02 pm »
I thin all mine up to where I can almost see through it. If you ever tried to rip rawhide you will realize its mean stuff that simply doesnt tear, even paper thin. I always look for thin rawhide to save the sanding, but I will take and use just about any of it.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2013, 12:29:29 am »
I get my antelope hides thru a guy that advertises in the classifieds in Primitive Archer Magazine, Michael Foltmer.  His antelope hides are as thin as a business card.  Stuff is tuff as it gets, too!
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Will H

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Re: rawhide question
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2013, 12:34:29 am »
Every time I see a lil yealin deer in the woods I can't help but think RAWHIDE!!! I'm with pearls, see through, thin is good. Does the job with less weight :)
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