Sinew backed birch-juniper

[maatus]

Soon getting ready.. still needs some finishing. Birch (Betula pubescens) on back and juniper (juniperus communis) belly, glued together with Titebond 3. Sinews (ostrich leg sinew, approx 50 grams) are glued with gelatine powder. Siyahs/tips are made from kelo wood and glued with Titebond 3. Then put some sinew on the tip joint with same gelatine glue and covered it with birch bark.

Lenght 135cm, max. width 38mm, weight 380 grams. After releasing the string it goes immediately to 60mm of reflex and after few minutes it's back on 75mm. Haven't shot it yet or weighted but I think it's somewhere around 45-50 pounds. I'm planning now to make two arrow sets for this bow before I go shoot it so it has some extra weeks to cure before use.

Do you think I should cover the sinew back with something..? And what do you think of tiller? E: ..haven't pulled that further..

[maatus]

Few more pictures

[maatus]

Sinew back after glueing second layer

[willie]

very nice Markus,
I certainly like the tiller I see,  I bet you can't hardly wait to see what it will do when you are ready to pull it all the way.

What wrong with a birch bark cover for the sinew? Fish skins? I am sure that you will find a pretty way to seal the sinew, you seem to have a good eye for the details

[maatus]

Thanks mate! I've been thinking of covering the whole sinew back with birch bark. But also have been thinking another ways, just like fish skins...

I'm not gonna finish it yet for months. I want to be sure the finishing would be worth it. If it won't make it, it's much easier to remove and reuse the sinews when it's not sealed.

[loon]

what about shellac and tung oil?
Really nice. How is the wide handle?

[Pappy]

Very nice work, tiller look fine to me. Covered or not it looks good.
 Pappy

[maatus]

Thanks!

I read that by oiling or waxing sinew it's not that easy to reuse them if needed because the glue won't hold up anymore that well.

I always make my bows the way that the handle is the widest part, in fact there's no "handle" at all.

[Parnell]

With regard to the siyahs, is your wood grain orientated parallel or perpendicular to the bow back?  Tough to tell in the picture.
Looks cool!

[joachimM]

You clearly have your own style, which is cool. Tiller looks good from what I can see.
Personally, the siyahs are way overbuilt / too bulky for my liking and I would never ever cut across every possible growth ring like you did. Kelo may be some pretty tough stuff, it would be tougher if you followed the grain. That would allow thinner tips and a faster shot with a gentle limb return.
Have you never broken a tip this way?
Out of curiosity: how did you glue the siyahs to the limbs?

Joachim

[Chief RID]

Very intriguing. I was thinking those were tool marks. I really like your bend through the handle design.

[BowEd]

Tiller seems to look real good of what I can see of it.Don't know how far that's drawn.Cover it or not it's up to you.Personally I'd put birch bark but that's just me.

[maatus]

The draw picture is about at 22 inches.

I simply glued the tips to the back and put some sinew on it.
Yet I haven't break any this style made nocks. Once, when I first time glued siyahs for previous bow, the joint broke up but that was because I didn't make it that fine.

Once I've finished the tips I think I wrap some sinew on the nocks and also I everytime put some glue on the nockhole, for arrows and bows.

[Springbuck]

It is a beautiful and unique style.

[PlanB]

I like the bow in general, since I like two-wood bows. But I guess the question re. siyahs is: are those just rasp or tool marks running crosswise to the siyah in close-up photo, or are those actually the rings?