Sealing sinew backing

[RatherBinTheWoods]

I am just about to try my first sinew backing but living in the UK moisture is a problem for much of the year. I will be applying in the normal way with hide glue but wondered if a coating of titebond III over the top when its dried is an acceptable durable finish? Anyone tried it? I use this for rawhide and it works perfectly but I also glue that on with the titebond.

I won't be using it in the rain or anything silly like that but I'd like to seal it to some extent in case of unexpected moisture which is a fact of British life ;0)

I don't want to cover this one with rawhide of snakeskin really.

I have also considered beeswax, micro-crystalline wax, or danish oil which I use for the wood.

Or will any of these work?

[Stick Bender]

On my hickory sinew bow I used true oil & about 6 coats of poly I have shot it in the rain with no isues but store the bow at 50% RH or below when not in use

[PEARL DRUMS]

TB3 is waterproof. Id have to assume it would work just fine. A friend of mine sealed an entire bow with TB3 and it worked well.

[JonW]

I use a mixture of pitch and lard.

[Marc St Louis]

TB3 is waterproof. Id have to assume it would work just fine. A friend of mine sealed an entire bow with TB3 and it worked well.

Justin said something interesting many years ago about TB3.  He said that when he wanted to take a composite apart glued together with TB3 he would just throw it in his swimming pool for a couple days.  Don't quite know how that might relate to TB3 as a sealant but it was interesting

[RatherBinTheWoods]

Thanks fellas, sound like it'll accept most finishes from this. Pitch is another one to add to the list.

I wonder if the chlorine or other pool chemicals has anything to do with it breaking the titebond down?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Just about any sealer will break down after a few days of total submersion in chlorinated water. I think wood expansion and chlorine play a role in dismantling it. I think a bow used practically would be just fine sealed with TB3.

[mikekeswick]

I've used sinewed wood bows and composites here in the England many times in the rain with no ill effects at all.  I shot the 3D nationals a few years ago and it poured down pretty much the whole time, both days. 80 r.h., with a composite horn bow. It showed no loss of reflex
No finish is totally waterproof but some are much better than others.
For wood/sinew bows I use tung oil. 5 coats total with the first coat cut 50/50 with white spirit and 2nd coat 75% tung oil/25% white spirit. Tung oil brings out the grain nicely, is very easy to apply and is a very water resistant finish. Only use pure tung oil with no drying agents added for best durability. It is very easy to re-apply and hide any scratches that happen over the years.
I've tried just about every finish over the years and tung oil is a strong favourite of mine

[bradsmith2010]

ok I know this is not very primitive,, but a good indoor outdoor acrylic paint,,will seal a bow very well,, if you spray poly over that it is pretty rain proof,,,

[osage outlaw]

I sealed my Osage hunting bow with 2 coats of shellac and one coat of TBIII.  That was around 4 years ago.  The TB finish has held up well even after being exposed to rain while hunting.  It's not a pretty finish.  It's dull and hard to get smooth.

[RatherBinTheWoods]

Thanks for sharing your UK experiences Mike, makes me think it's not such a waste of time after all!
Osage Outlaw, that's good to know I think whatever I do in the end I will probably finish off with the TBIII (because I trust it from my experience with rawhide) or poly for the extra waterproofing.
Cheers

[BowEd]

One twin oaks visit of mine while camped was rained on for 2 of the 3 days there off and on carrying sinewed bows with me.Very high humidity also I would imagine with no noticeable ill effects.Other like type experiences in the past here have proven the same also.I just use titebond 3 glueing the cover over the sinew and a multiple thin layered layers of lacquer finish over that.

[RatherBinTheWoods]

I'm going to do the deed tonight so I'll see how it turns out and how it shoots when dry. If it's good enough I might well decide to stick my snakeskins on it after all. Is a lovely shape for them  - like a Sudbury type smoothed off graceful pyramid just a bit shorter.
I'll post picks when done . Thanks for your help one and all

[Pat B]

I use Tru-Oil on sinew backed bows and a quick spray of satin poly to cut the shine. I've also used a thin coat of TBIII first then the Tru-Oil over that.