I got a few coats of shellac on the bbo I have been working on so it was ready for a handle. Yesterday I glued 4 or 5 strips of leather together to build up a handle and soaked them with super glue. I let them dry overnight and went out to shape them today. Once I got the handle sort of rounded I decided to shoot the bow a few times to see how it felt. When I got it to about 2/3 full draw....BANG! I thought it broke since it was very loud. As it turns out, two of the leather layers popped apart. I thought I noticed that the super glue had made them awfully stiff. I guess the bend in the handle was too much for them. Whew!!
I decided to try something different. I had recently purchased some cork. I got some rolls of thin cork from the craft store and also a couple of packs of cork coasters. They were about 1/16 in thick and 4 in square. I cut some up, glued them together with thick superglue and shaped them on the belt sander before I glued them on. They were really easy compared to rawhide and leather that I have used in the past.
My question is this. What do I need to help the longevity of the cork. Can I seal it with something that will help it last?