Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: tacticalboxing on October 12, 2018, 06:48:54 am
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This is for information but also just for fun:
I wanted to put together a list of backing materials, so let's make a list from the most common to the most wacky and everything in between.
Furthermore, it could not also be the material but could include the process.
So let's see how comprehensive and interesting a list that we can come up with.
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Air.
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Air.
That certainly is the easiest to apply! 8)
Here are a few I've tried and liked...
-fish skin (carp, trout, sheepshead)
-snake skin (rattler, cobra, bull, northern water, garter, rat)
-cherry bark
-yellow birch bark
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A thin layer of cambium on whitewoods.
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I've used animal print tissue paper, tiger, zebra, giraffe and leopard, strictly decorative but makes for an interesting bow.
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These days "air is my favorite too.
Rawhide, linen, silk, burlap have their place. Jawge
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I tried really strong brown packaging paper experimental and not on a bow.
Holds up very good and I would trust it holding splinters down.
Actually I harvested some ash,maple and birch. I could strip of nice pieces of the birch bark. It's drying between newspaper and books know. Can anybody tell me how thick you use this as a backing on a bow, as you can delayer it in cigarette paper thick layers? Does it hold down splinters as well, or is it just decoration? I have a roughed out birch with violated back where I want to use birchbark as a backing!
Greets Martin
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Great examples my friends keep 'em coming lol.
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Also, how about hard backings as well as soft backings?
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Fishpaper was an old pre glass era backing that you can still buy today. Essentially it is paper rawhide.
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I've mostly used air, but I have used white tail rawhide, diamond back rattler and prairie rattler. I have a birch bark backed Osage made by Greg aka Badly Bent that he used some natural color pigments on . I really like the effect and it's different than another snake skin backed bow. I really like Dbar's turkey feather backed bows. They are amazingly beautiful. I also really like Pats animal print tissue paper backed bows. I have some birch bark I want to use this winter. I have zero experience with using it, but my understanding is it's a strong backing if left on the thicker side and from reading old posts sounds like it can even add some draw weight. I'm planning on getting it very thin. Just really using it for effect. I also like fish skin backed bows. I want to do a short sinew baked bow. I shot Paulsemp's 48" sinew backed Osage with a sinew string and really liked it a lot. My bucket list has a sinew backed with horn on belly in the future. Also have a nice piece of boo I got from Frank at Marshall that's waiting for a bow to mate with.
Lots of possibilities both functional and pleasing to the eye.
Bjrogg
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I have also heard of sheet rock tape, denim, and fiber glass cloth.
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After it's shot in, I'm going to add a turkey feather backing to the bow I'm working on right now... mostly for looks, but from what I've read, it's as tough--or tougher than linen.
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Hey,
last year I did a 28# Hazel-Warbow with bark-backing (-;
Cheers
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A local bowyer uses mostly fiberglass tape, I believe. He says it works very well, not primitive, but he is making mostly longbows for "public range use"
Hawkdancer
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Out of the bark backings I have heard that cherry is the strongest and may even add tensile strength.
Also someone suggested elm and cedar.
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Am I correct in assuming that the principle behind backing is that it has to be stiff but has to have a little stretch if pulled between the hands really hard like denim?
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It's more of a range of tensile properties. Backing vary considerably. The key is that they don't break or stretch so readily that they don't actually protect the material under them.
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Hmm, interesting comment Pat. So what would you use as a guiding principle behind what would make a good backing and what would not?
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One I have wanted to try just for S's and Grins is the Processed American Sandwich cheese. After that stuff is left in the sun for a while it gets like plastic and you never see flies on it.
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It's probably just casein glue essentially.
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Not exactly a backing, but I put a Goat rawhide Meare Heath style wrapping in the hickory bow and painted the wrap black, still have some decorating to do before I post pics. Opps! , somebody mentioned Rawhide, I think!
Hawkdancer
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One I have wanted to try just for S's and Grins is the Processed American Sandwich cheese. After that stuff is left in the sun for a while it gets like plastic and you never see flies on it.
Lol, cheese that's hilarious. A Twinkie backing maybe those things can survive a nuclear apocalypse lol.
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I have tried bamboo husks once, but they didn't stick. Will try again at some point using a different glue. I've also tried corn husks. The corn husks didn't stick well either, but will try these again too.
I've also backed a few bows with flax fibers. These work great. They didn't add any real strength, or poundage, just added a little security.
Tattoo Dave
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rawhide. Why? Arizona is hard on a bow's back during a wilderness hunt. I like to thin the hide a bit before application.
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From what I read, the wrappings on the original Meare Heath was rawhide and either sinew or gut. I just thought it would look neat with the Celtic spirals and ogham lettering. I have yet to do a real backing on any bow, so I am far from knowledgeable about it.
Hawkdancer
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I've used a narrow strip of flattened bamboo (about 15% of the limb width) before. Unlike most wooden backings, the thickness of boo backing is almost irrelevant due to its outer density.
I've only got access to very narrow diameter bamboo, but have a huge supply. I'm going to try cutting and overlapping pieces of outer fibres to try maximise the amount of "power fibre" backing.
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My first bow I tried backing with automotive fiberglass uni-cloth and epoxy glue. After a few shots it over powered the mulberry. The failure may have been more of a lack of gluing experience than actual over powering.
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My first bow I tried backing with automotive fiberglass uni-cloth and epoxy glue. After a few shots it over powered the mulberry. The failure may have been more of a lack of gluing experience than actual over powering.
What actually happened in the end? Did it simply collapse? Delaminate? Hopefully it didn't explode on you?
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I, have a question which maybe fits to this thread:
How do I prevent a birch bark backing from delayering, or which finish should I use?
The back of the bow I'm working right now does have birch bark, cherry bark and air as backing.
Thank you...
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Matt, the wood core kind of broke back towards me, three pieces as I recall. No damage to me. I think with a smooth even back stave, and fiber strip applied with half as much epoxy, and not 'backing' the sides it probably would have been good.