What glue should I use for a fabric backing?

[Cameroo]

The next bow I'm working on is going to have a fabric backing, and I did a test glue up using TB3, and was not happy at all with the brown color of the glue showing through.  Does anyone have any experience using a good glue that dries transparent (not translucent like the titebond glues)?  Would some type of epoxy like Smooth On EA-40 be suitable?

[Pat B]

Any white carpenters glue will work also, enen Elmers Glue-all. You want the glue to completely saturate the cloth for full strength. You can paint over the backing if you don't like the finished color.
  I've never tried epoxies for backings so I can't help you there.  It is not the glue and it is not the backing material but the combination of the two that makes a good backing. Some folks don't think that brown paper will make a good backing but if you think how paper is made, a mish mash of wood fibers, and saturate it with glue it acts like a solid reinforsed material and not just paper and glue.

[Cameroo]

Thanks Pat.  I should have mentioned that the purpose of the this backing is strictly cosmetic, so painting it would totally defeat the purpose.  Which is why I'm looking to use something that dries totally transparent, and is flexible enough to use on a bow.  I know from experience that some epoxies can be somewhat brittle, but I have no experience with the EA-40 that is commonly used for bowmaking.

[Pat B]

Do an expereiment with white carpenters glue and see if those results are not OK. It will affect the color somewhat but the design should shown through god enough. Get the glue on the surface as smooth and thin as possible for the best results.
  Even go as far as adding the finish to the test so you get the true picture of the end result.

[El Destructo]

I have always used either Elmers Carpenters Glue...or TiteBond....just water it down some so that it soaks in well...you want total penetration...put a couple coats on to make sure that you fill all the Pores in the Cloth.....I have never had it block out the Patterns in the Cloth before...and I have also put this over painted Cloth surfaces too with no Ill Effects.

[Cameroo]

Sounds good.  I know that TB3 leaves a brownish finish, but I'll have to try some Elmers or maybe TB1.  Thanks for the tip on watering it down, that never occurred to me.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've use Titebond 2 because it is water resistant. Jawge

[kiltedcelt]

I too have noticed the issue with Titebond III coloring a backing. I have used natural colored linen and had the TIII give it an ugly brown tint. I've since gone back to using Titebond II since it's still water resistant, just not as resistant as Titebond III. I figure the water resistance that doesn't matter much if you're painting the bow with some kind of clear finish. I've found that the Titebond II gives a pretty translucent finish, but as others have mentioned, plain old Elmer's white glue will dry completely clear and though it's not water resistant it shouldn't be an issue when a waterproof clear finish is put on over it.

[Cameroo]

That's what I was thinking of trying, just plain old white glue.  I'm not concerned about it being water proof because it will have a satin polyurethane finish, and that's waterproof enough for me. 

I also had a hunch that TB2 would have a bit of color yet when it dries.  Thanks for the advice.

[PatM]

Get some boatrbuilding Epoxy if you want a clear finish. Most of those Epoxies are not actually very brittle.
 You can also thin regular 2 ton Epoxy with an Epoxy thinner and use that.

[cracker]

I use tight bond III just because it's always handy around my shop. Ron

[Mark Anderson]

I second PatM's advice. I just finished up a little walnut bow for my daughter and had some pretty pink ribbon I wanted to back it with. I used 60 min epoxy for that. It worked great.
Mark

[aznboi3644]

I have plenty of faith in Elmers White School Glue.  I built a subwoofer box using only white school glue...no screws.  MDF material.  None of my friends could pull it apart.  Surprised the heck out of me of its strength...its still a pva glue.

I had to toss the box 15 feet in the air and let it land on concrete just to break it....and when it broke it broke at the MDF not the glue line.