Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: lesken2011 on February 18, 2013, 09:09:32 pm
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I got a few coats of shellac on the bbo I have been working on so it was ready for a handle. Yesterday I glued 4 or 5 strips of leather together to build up a handle and soaked them with super glue. I let them dry overnight and went out to shape them today. Once I got the handle sort of rounded I decided to shoot the bow a few times to see how it felt. When I got it to about 2/3 full draw....BANG! I thought it broke since it was very loud. As it turns out, two of the leather layers popped apart. I thought I noticed that the super glue had made them awfully stiff. I guess the bend in the handle was too much for them. Whew!!
I decided to try something different. I had recently purchased some cork. I got some rolls of thin cork from the craft store and also a couple of packs of cork coasters. They were about 1/16 in thick and 4 in square. I cut some up, glued them together with thick superglue and shaped them on the belt sander before I glued them on. They were really easy compared to rawhide and leather that I have used in the past.
My question is this. What do I need to help the longevity of the cork. Can I seal it with something that will help it last?
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I use cork to build up my handles and to make stand-alone handle wraps. I shape it with a sharp knife to avoid tear outs, then coat with thinned Titebond III. After it is dry I sand it down, and coat it again with titebond 3. I thin the TB3 so that it penetrates a bit more than it would otherwise. After it si dry, I finish it with the same finish the bow gets, usually shellac and lindseed oil. Hope that helps and glad that was all the bang was :)
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Carson that is as good as stolen my friend. Very cool handle.
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Thanks Carson. I should have thought of that!!
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That definitely sounds like too much bend in the handle. When I make a bendy handle bow I make it so I can barely feel the handle bend.
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I barely feel it bend at full draw, Gordon. The handle are has some reflex when unstrung and that is the way i glued it up. The leather was thin pieces glued together and fully saturated with thin superglue. When I took the leather off it was as hard as a brick. I guess it wouldn't bend at all.
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Oh okay. If the leather ended up that inflexible, then that would certainly be a problem.