So my new terrible idea!

[Blaflair2]

So I had a brilliant idea today. I'm putting my short Osage bow in the rafters as I'm frustrated with it. So I have all this sinew and some ipe and hickory. SooOooOoo I was thinking...

A R/D profile 50" ipe belly with a hickory "backing" while I tiller it a bit. Then sinew back it. I'm just wondering how wide I should go for? I was thinking somewhat wide, 1 1/2" with a narrower handle. I plan on almost a hybrid style longbow. Wel short bow. I'm thinking the sinew will stick to the hickory better than it ever would the ipe. What yall think? I'm not taking it to 28". It may be for the trade. 

[PatM]

 You should just be aware that adding sinew on top of a wood backing strip can separate the two pieces of wood as the sinew shrinks in width.

[Blaflair2]

Is there a way to prevent that? I also have ash and maple. I figured I'd make the backing 1/16" so it's basically an oil barrier.

[PatM]

 Hard to say. I have had it happen with Ash but not Maple. Probably something to do with how much the wood moves with added moisture and then shrinking again.
 Putting on the sinew in layers rather than all at once would likely help.
 The other option would be to sinew the backing strip first and then add it to the belly.

[half eye]

Hey BF,  I made a circle bend ipe backed with a SKINNY boo back (so no sinew) it was 49" and drew 65# at 25".....had to give it to a logger friend thats real strong.....well that bow wound up 7/8" wide at the center with straight tapers to 1/2" tips and the ipe was still pretty darned thin.

I'm trying to say that with hickory and sinew and 1-1/2" width you may have a bit of a problem with even STARTING to bend that baby . Just my experience though so take it for what ever it's worth.

If you use that combo maybe think in terms of 1" width tapering to thin tips and you may have to narrow it even more on account of keeping some ipe thickness. That bow ought to be a stone cold screemin meme.
rich

[Blaflair2]

Thanks for the input pat and rich! Backing the backing pat? Like cut the backing into a bow and sinew it. After I glued it together would I still get the sinews benefit.

[PatM]

As long as the sinew is stretched when the bow is drawn it will work. You would make the double backing strip reflexed of course like a normal sinew backed bow.
 Just look at Marc's rescued Black Cherry and sinew bow as an example.

[joachimM]

Why the sinew?
Seeing all the bows on this forum, it seems sinew is mostly used on woods that bend easily (not so stiff woods like osage, yew, ERC and other junipers) matching the fact that sinew stretches easily. Much less so with hickory, even less ipe.
I figure you'd need much more sinew than on these typical woods to make the sinew work. As i understand it, sinew becomes most beneficial on short bows, while on longbow profiles it would mostly be "dead" weight.

But i might be wrong and learn something here.

[Blaflair2]

The bow is gonna be around 50". And the sinew will work on any wood. In the right configuration. I plan on backing the ipe for the sinew to stick to the backing better than the ipe like I already said. The sinew will draw and hold more reflex than the glued on backing and allow it to be drawn farther. Ipe is a great compressive wood.

[PatM]

Did you see the Magyar style bow of Sinew, Maple and Ipe a while back? Very light weight bow but showed how well the combo works.

[DC]

Won't the sinew/hide glue stick to the Ipe?

[Blaflair2]

It may DC. Buts it's so oily. Why take the chance when ya put in the time

[joachimM]

Did you see the Magyar style bow of Sinew, Maple and Ipe a while back? Very light weight bow but showed how well the combo works.

No i didnt but looked it up, great tutorial there!
Thanks for the info
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,43246.msg580831.html#msg580831

[joachimM]

Blaflair: thanks for the info. Yes 50" is short enough