Raw hide

[crwjr]

Going to glue raw hide backing onto a bow this afternoon. Using the ol dog bone raw hide and was wondering what prep needs to be done to the hide or limbs before hand? Rough the wood up a bit with sand paper to stick better or just apply and wrap with a breathable material? Does it need sanded down afterwards and how much sanding? Can you stain the hide with regular wood stain or is there a better finish for it? Thanks for any answers to my questions -Carter

[Thesquirrelslinger]

Sand hide flesh side, slightly dampen it if using hide glue.
lightly sand with fine grit paper the wood, b/c glue sticks much better to just-machined wood surfaces.
once glued on(assuming you are using hide glue or wood glue) let it dry at least overnight, trim the edges with a scraper or something else.

[Pat B]

Dog chew rawhide is too thick for a backing. It will just rob performance. You can sand it thinner and it will work fine.
 You can do a lot with a rawhide backing. It takes stain, dye, you can draw on it and make your own design and with an oil finish has a cool looking mottled appearance that would be good camo.
 Once the rawhide backing dries you can clean the edges with a file or sanding block. It can be sanded and then you add your regular bow finish.

[crwjr]

Thanks guys. Hey PatB what other types of handy backing is there? Would cloth work and what kind? I like the raw hide idea but am open to others!

[Pat B]

Yes, cloth will work and some are better than others. Silk and linen are the best. You can get both at thrift stores as neck ties or womens skirts, slacks and blouses plus you get cool designs for decoration too. Brown grocery bag paper makes a good but cheap backing material. Any of these can be put down with any carpenters glue. Most folks use TBIII because it is waterproof but with a good finish any glue is waterproof or nearly so.

[crwjr]

Thanks Pat, I will be using the TBIII. If you use paper do you soak it in water first then glue or just saturate it with the glue? And can it also be stained, or are you really staining the glue more than the backing material?

[Pat B]

Put a thin layer of glue down on the bow and carefully lay the paper down going from the handle out the limb. Do only one limb at a time. Work any wrinkles , air bubbles or excess glue out  and move on to the next limb. Once the glue has set add more glue over the back to saturate the paper. You can paint over the glue but it will be a darker color when the glue and paper dry.

[richardzane]

Pat B,
 a question about choosing rawhide for backing....
so would the best choice be a thin rawhide like an untanned deer skin, its back area?
I wonder, because i have been contemplating using a thicker rawhide (twice or more the thickness of a deerskin)
but so far i've never backed a bow and curious about the results.