Gluing limbs/siyahs

[Tom Dulaney]

I'm trying to splice bow limbs at the handle, as well as siyahs, but all I have is a hand saw and a burin, so it is difficult for memto make precise cuts. I would like to know how much leeway there is for flush in these splice joints? I can't always make these joints so that they will hold together perfectly just by friction.

My understanding ia that there has to be at least a little wiggle room for the glue to get in to. But how much is too much?

[Limbwalker]

Hello Tom,
Not sure where your info comes from, maybe you know something I don't know. You can definitely make splices with hand tools, take your time.

As far as glue goes, it totally depends on what kind of glue you use. If your joints have wiggle room you want to use something like epoxy. I don't use much epoxy. I like good epoxy though. I use Titebond III. With Titebond you do no not want any wiggle room and you want a very smooth surface. If you can do that, TBIII is very strong. So the thought, "there has to be at least a little wiggle room." is completely false with TB type glues. Epoxy  (i.e. Smooth On) has gap filling properties if your joint is a bit loose or off.

How much leeway depends on the adhesive you choose. Whatever you choose follow manufacturers directions and make your joints accordingly. Doe's that make sense?

You can accomplish any cut or splice if you practice and take your time. If you think you can't do it, maybe ask a friend who has power tools to use theirs. There are numerous threads here with build alongside on how to do all sorts of splices, keep searching. I've read them so I know their here, Good luck.

Anybody please correct me if I was wrong about anything, thanks good night

[loon]

There's also Dave Mead's way of doing it (as with his bamboo horse bow), which I guess is more like the pre V-splice (when hornbows were made without V-splices historically) way of doing it. That's how I plan to eventually do it..
It's definitely doable to V-splice just with handsaws though.
Now, I'm not sure if those splices will hold without something on the belly like horn covering them.. and sinew wrapping. I don't think they're supposed to bend?

[mikekeswick]

You always want the best fit possible. Gap filling is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to glues. You shouldn't be able to see any light through the joint when lightly clamped.
Take your time and make every tool pass count! It is easy to start making the fit worse.
Once you have it as good as you can then steam the female end of the splice for 10 minutes. Push together and clamp until the parts are thoroughly cool. Perfect fit

[Springbuck]

The easiest splice is not a V side to side, but a simple slash front to back.  Just be sure the slash is at least several inches long, and begins and ends well in from the fades. Then, wrap the tobacco juice out of it after gluing, or even wrap, then hammer the two together lengthwise like wedges.

[PatM]

Consider that the most spliced bows were made  long before the power tool era.

[bradsmith2010]

would slash splice from front to back work on the siyahs as well,,???

[DC]

I don't know what you mean by a slash splice? Would it be like they foreshaft an arrow in TBB4(I think)? Basically a saw kerf that you drive a wedge into?

[PatM]

Think he means a scarf joint essentially.

[DC]

That makes sense now. Thanks

[Springbuck]

Yes, Pat, properly called a scarf joint.  About a 4-5 " diagonal splice running back to front.  I've done "V" splices successfully, but it's kind of a pain unless the stuff you are splicing is squared up and stuff.  I just cheat, scarf join it, and hide it.

If you start with a round handle, you can do the scarf cuts and then slip the cut ends into a short pipe section.  Then, tap one end of the stave on the ground, driving them together like wedges, and hide the pipe with twine wrappings or rawhide.  You can do the same with wire, bending over the loose ends and driving them into the wood like a brad.  You can make a fiberglass sleeve, or a rawhide sleeve, or just do the twin wrapping.


As long as the joint in the handle ends well before any dips or fadeouts, you are good.  Siyahs can be butted to the core, glued and a backing applied, or just glued on the front of the limb and the overlap wrapped with glue and twine. Leave the tip thick and flatten it if you need a good fit.