Is sinew worth the effort?

[okie64]

Just thought Id post a few pics of the almost finished bow(no finish or grip yet). Ended up at 50lbs at 27" and still holds 1.5" of reflex so to answer my own question, yes it was worth the effort. Since the sinew was glued down with tb3 does it need any protection over it or can I leave it exposed? I kinda like the way it looks and dont really want to cover it up but I will if necessary.

[steve b.]

You did a nice job.  I have sinewed bows and greatly fluctuating humidity levels.  I can grab any one of those bows at any time and hit where I'm aiming at 25 yds., so don't worry about the idea that your sinew is going to "absorb moisture and slow the bow down".  Generally speaking, you won't notice it.
After my last sinew job I baked out any moisture over the period of a month then took a block of parafin wax, warmed it, and rubbed it over the sinew.  I then heated it until it soaked into the sinew, wiped off the excess, and so now its waterproof.    I now keep those sinew bows in a warm, dry environment knowing that I can take them out into the rain forest and not worry about the moisture for at least a week.

[JW_Halverson]

Sinew just won't improve the cast of a longer bow, the sinew just does not get stretched enough to start working.  The working sinew causes the belly to take more compression, in effect multiplying the amount of bend the limb is actually subjected to. 

I don't think sinewing is as exciting as I used to think it was.  I used to sinew back everything, short bows, recurves, quivers, arm guards....  I guess I got it out of my system.  So says the guy that is going to whip out a series of 5 sinewed horsebows this summer.  But I am doing it as part of a seminar I am doing at the Rendezvous at Fort Union this June.  It's messy enough in a garage where I can have buckets of warm soapy water at hand, electric burners to warm glue, benches/clamps/modern electricity/etc.  But no, I gotta do do it in da dirt in front of a bunch of touristas!

[BowEd]

Sinewing to me is an art in itself.Applying more of it where most of the bending work is being done.Crowning it to make the bow to work in tension on the central part of the limb and leaving 8" of the tips with no sinew on it are all ways to get the most out of it and not wasting it where it can slow your cast down.These things are all learned when it gets easier for you and you want more performance from it.To me sinewing a bow is like waiting for christmas as a kid.I'll go so far as to say it is the great equalizer to FG bows.Besides a very well designed and tillered self bow or bamboo backed bow and you don't learn how to do that either without doing more and making it easier.So you get what you put into it.

[BowEd]

BTW.Nice bow you got there.

[BowEd]

Sorry to disagree with you JW but,sinew on a holmgaard longer bow will get stretched enough and improve cast if the bow is tillered to work on the inner limbs into the fades.With the tips being narrowed properly.You can bet your last dollar on that.

[BowEd]

Sinew actually relieves the belly of compression by thinning it so it can take more bend.I.E. changing the nuteral plane.It is the best energy storing backing there is out there period.

[ohma2]

second on what beadman just wrote its a bow saver and a power promoter. and a good job on the bow to .

[JeremiahVires]

I'd say yes and no. 
No for a longbow (Over 55"), because it doesn't reflex it that much, just pisses you off because it comes off with just a little bit of moisture...
For recurved shortbow (55" and under), that is a big yes.  It reduces set, reflexes the bow heavily, and increases draw weight.
A way to keep moisture from getting into a sinew backing is to back it, wait 3 months to let it dry, then snakeskin back it.