Horn cable bow for natural moisture resistance?

[Tom Dulaney]

Hello,

I am moving to the Georgia, where it's very humid in the summer. I am wondering, how resistant is horn to moisture? Does it lose as much performance as wood does when it's humid out? I was thinking I would splice two pieces of long, wide cattle horn together and then make an adjustable sinew cable for the back. From what I've heard cables are better for sinew backings in humid climates since you can tighten them when the sinew wants to stretch out. I would be using the widest, thickest horn slats possible to avoid warping,

Thanks for your help.
Tom

[mikekeswick]

Unless you live outside I wouldn't worry about the R.H. too much! Yes it is a factor but here in England the humidity rarely gets below 60% and all winter it is over 75%. I've never had a problem. As long as you remember that it takes longer for a bow to lose moisture than to take it up.
I've soaked a broken bow in water to release the glues and get the horn /sinew off.....the sinew took a couple of days and the horn to wood bond lasted over a week. With a good finish there is little to worry about.
I would make a 'normal' hornbow. Cow horn tends to delaminate between the 'layers'. Better to use water buffalo.

[wizardgoat]

Have you made many bows to date?  I believe horn to be very resistant to moisture. It's nothing like wood at all.  There's a reason why there was very few, if any sinew backed bows in those SE states.
If you want a bow that will hold up in a humid climate, I'd go with a yew or Osage self bow.
If you want to make a cable backed horn bow like some far north styles, there's nothing wrong with that they are pretty cool bows

[loon]

Could make one like those inuit antler bows (from a quick google search - youtube.com/watch?v=JmfYJBha7SU)

yes