Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: jeffp51 on July 05, 2019, 12:32:25 pm
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I just glued a sturgeon skin over a sinew covered back. How long would you wait before drawing the bow?
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Was the sinew dry when you backed it? Fish and snake skins act like vapor barriers over the sinew so any moisture that comes from the skin into the sinew has to go into the wood and out through the belly. I'd give it a month at least but that's the way I do it.
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Also depends on the glue you used on both applications...Hide glue? I would give it some time...
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The sinew layer (there is only one layer) was put on several months ago--January, I think, but I don't remember any more. It was thoroughly dry when I applied the skin. I used hide glue to apply both the sinew and the sturgeon skins. There do not appear to be any voids, and the skins stuck down really well.
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Jeff,
6 months ago, you should be good for sure...I am a big fan of hide glue with these applications...
Don
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(I have strung too soon,,..the tiller was off,..and loss of weight,,,would indicate more dry time needed
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The dry sinew will be re-hydrated form the moisture in the skin and hide glue. I'd give it at least a month.
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Jeff,
Agree with Pat B...6 months on the sinew is good but I just realized in your first post that you "just" put on the skin...So that can rehydrate the outer part of the sinew...Waiting and being patient would be the safest way...
Don
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Jeff I recently also glued sturgeons over sinew. I marked the weight and was very surprised to see it drop weight for nearly 7 weeks. The sinew backing was cured for over a year, so it was all moisture from the sturgeon
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That is all good to know. I have to say, it looks and feels very dry already. I was about to string it, when I started wondering if that was a good idea, so I decided to ask. . . I think the wisest thing is to wait a bit. I wish I had thought to weigh it ahead of time. As of right now, the bow is 615 grams. (21.75 oz). We will see if that changes at all in the next few days.
By the way, I have found an excellent wrapping material. I used the "self-adherent compression bandage wrap". It sticks to itself but not to anything else--especially wounds--which when you think about it, the scabbing material in a cut or scrape is just the proteins of the body closing things up. This means that it doesn't stick well to hide glue, but it sticks to itself mechanically. This let me wrap really tight and then unwrap without it pulling up the skin underneath. The results were very satisfactory.
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Well after the bow held its weight for about a month, I decided to string it and see what happens. I put about 100 arrows through it and everything seems to be fine --except one of the scutes decided to crack in the middle on the first draw. It gave me the scare of my life. I'll be honest, I did the whole shooting session with protective glasses on. . .
I'll have it finished soon and will post pictures.
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congrats on your bow,,, :)