New (to me) Handle Splicing Technique.

[Springbuck]

I hate the fuss of making W or Z handle splices when working with split billets or some of the very small staves I end up with.  So, I often do a simple slash, splice about 4 to 4-1/2" long running diagonally front to back through the handle.

This works ok as long as you leave the handle long and thick enough.  It usually requires long fades, and I often have to build the grip up later.  Biggest issue is that I have to join the handles before I can do much else on the bow. 

!!WELL!!!  Generally, I pin the splice with epoxy and small, course screws, but I still have to wrap it to really secure the splice.  I have used wire, fiberglas and resin, rawhide, and even fine cordage wrapped tightly a thousand times, but the best stuff I have found is a product called Fiber-Fix.  This stuff is strips of fiberglass tape with a moisture activated epoxy in it, which expands slightly after wrapping, becomes very hard and strong, tightening the wrap from underneath, bonding to the handle, etc. This stuff does. Not. Budge.    But,  it's like $10.00 for 60" x2" wide strip.

Then I remembered Gorilla Glue, much maligned by us bowyers for its foaming properties, despite the great strength of the poly material.  I wondered if applying drywall tape tightly with GGLUE would take advantage of the foaming.  I remembered that it doesn't foam much if the faces are mated and clamped tightly, and if sparingly applied with little moisture.

So I tried it.  So far so good.  The drywall tape is not as limb as I'd like and has to be doubled up lengthwise.  Otherwise, when tightly wrapped in successive layers, it seems to be holding be very tightly, much tighter than I could wrap it with normal glue like TB or epoxy.

[Springbuck]

Those are two shovel handles joined where they are fattest I'm hoping to make into a 74" bow.

Here they are wrapped.

[Springbuck]

Here is the aftermath of the first layer.  I shouldn't have wet it.

[Springbuck]

 I trimmed off the junk and applied two more layers without wetting the glue.  They almost didn't foam at all.
The handle seems really locked down tight.  So far, so good.

[PatM]

Seems like the Fiber-Fix is still a better option.  Couldn't you do about three bows with one strip?

[Hamish]

Okay it will probably work, but it won't have anywhere near as much surface area as a more conventional splice.
A splice side by side would also be a better option than back to belly, because the belly to backjoin  is the same direction as the stress in a drawn bow.

I have used your method for splicing billet length backings. I used TB3 and found that the point on the back started to lift, even with a supposedly stiff handle. Apparently there is enough pressure on it still to flex even if not perceptible to the naked eye.

Easily fixed by a glue wrapped binding as you have suggested.

I am definitely a belt and braces guy when it comes to handle splices, in that I prefer to use a good quality bowmakers epoxy, at least a Z splice(though W is even better), still I wrap the splice with a glue soaked binding. I hate having to repair a bow because I didn't take enough care in the first place to do it with the best chance of success, and longevity.
A decent binding should makeyour method  durable enough.

[PatM]

A typical simple take-down uses the same "splice" without even actually being glued to one side.  The simplest and strongest option is just getting some carbon tow and epoxy and wrapping it with that.  Not primitive but let's face it, when you're joining billets with epoxy etc. you've already jumped off the primitive wagon.

  It does have no bearing on the actual primitive working of the bow itself.

[Badger]

  i use a lot of tb3 on z spliced handles for bows in the 50# range. My fits are pretty good but not perfect. I don't think I have ever experienced a failure on any kind of z spice. I squeeze it with clamps after gluing.

[Springbuck]

Thanks for the input, Badger, PatM, and Hamish.

I have done all of the above, and continue to do so.  This is not the be all-end all, but another tool in the box.

PatM, Fiber-Fix probably is still the best option, but I don't always have it lying around, and I do have the other stuff.  It's not available everywhere, but it's more like 2 bows worth, and it degrades when exposed to air. (Meaning I may not get to use the other half if it's more tha  a couple weeks.  And, yes, another thing that works is making a TD with a piece of pipe.
 

Steve, I can make a Z splice reasonably well, too, and have done a couple dozens.  Nothing wrong with them, and on bigger billets, probably prefered. But this is splice is MUCH easier for skinny little sapling staves under 3", at least for me.  I  do it all the time,  and this particular glue and tape combo is just a new idea.

Hamish, it doesn't need  the surface area of a regular W  splice, and it's far stronger than a side by side.  The o ly issue is that the handle/fade area has to extend well pastwhere the spl8ce comes out anteriorly.  I'm not the first person to do it the splice,  Baker does it in the TBB.  The only new thing  here is the tape and glue combo.

Honestly, I USUALLY don't even bother splicing backings, and often have them end inches short of eachother.  However, I also usually grind the corners down and apply overlays.

[Badger]

  I agree with you Springbuck, for skinny billets it should be an ideal fix.

[DC]

I read somewhere that if Gorilla Glue has tight joints it's very strong but if it foams within the joint (wide gaps) the strength goes way down. If I was to use a scarf joint like that I would wrap it with strong string and epoxy the string. It make a decent handle.

[Springbuck]

DC, that's part of the experiment.  I've done it your way a good handful of times.   I've had trouble wrapping things like wire tightly enough.  Small dia. string has always worked , but you have to wind and wind it.

 What I'm hoping is that the GGlue will foam just a tiny bit, enough to snug up the wrap, stay strong, and not break down with use.

I've even done linen bandages with Titebond and that worked, (took forever to dry) but sometimes you get just a tiny bit of play with stuff like that.