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Offline DuBois

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Sisal backing
« on: August 10, 2012, 05:08:30 pm »
I am preping some of this hay bail twine which is made from sisal fibers. It was free!
Anybody ever back a bow with it. It seems strong and I am planning to back a hard maple bow about 62" NTN.
I am thinking I will treat this like sinew and pattern it like sinew on the back (I don't really have sinew experience though)
 I am fairly new at bow making but can't stop now.
This is my first post and you all have been invaluable in my short bowyer life so far. I am not computer savy but will try to put pics on if I get that far.
Thanks again to you all!!
Marco D.
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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2012, 05:21:27 pm »
Never tried it, but would love to see some pics of the results.

Tattoo Dave
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Rockford, MI

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2012, 07:58:41 pm »
All I know about that twine is that each fiber has almost no elasticity or ten sile strength. It may protect the back by acting as a glue matrix, but it wont hold reflex and I dont think it will do as much work as the glue holding it together will. Just my .0000002 cents worth.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2012, 08:40:30 pm »
Heck, I've seen plenty of paper grocery bag backings, so if it is strong then it might just work. I know it is strong enough to hold big ol bales of hay together? I remember hauling plenty of bales when I was younger, but most of em had those plastic ties I think? Man, you know what sucks, is when they make the hay out of a big field of whatever is growing and somehow it ends up with a bunch of poison ivy or poison oak. I got that stuff all over my body once hauling bales of hay, as I was loading em on this guys truck without a shirt. Thought it was just itchy hay so I itched all over and spread it everywhere on my upper body.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2012, 11:20:29 pm »
I bought a roll of sisal once, thinking I might try to make a bow string. When I found out the tensile strength was something like 8-12 # I decided to use it for handle wrap. It looks and feels pretty cool.

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Offline soy

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2012, 07:34:07 am »
Someone here once said, looks loke you volunteered to be the first....let us know, and good luck >:D
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Offline killir duck

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2012, 01:11:40 pm »
thought about it but have never tried it
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Offline DuBois

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2013, 03:56:36 pm »
Just FYI, this did not work out well. The sisal pretty much shredded way before full draw and the bow gave out too  :o
Hard to say if it was the sisal or the workman but  think I will stick with more tried and true backing in the near future.
It did make a nice handle wrap for my first ash self bow though  ;)
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Offline sleek

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2013, 04:17:24 pm »
Jute fibers work great. I have used them as a backing several times.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2013, 09:47:09 am »
UP
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline kid bow

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Re: Sisal backing
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2013, 11:55:06 am »
you have to boil it to get the chemicals out of it the use a wire brush and comb it then let it dry and back with glue
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i need nothing but my old bow and arrows.
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