Author Topic: Sinew lifetime  (Read 1585 times)

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Offline DC

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Sinew lifetime
« on: November 17, 2015, 01:31:06 pm »
A fellow showed up at the range last night with a couple of sinewed bows. One was Yew and the other was Black Locust. They were quite old and the sinew was flaking. You could see the cracks in the glue. He strung one and pulled it a bit but not much. It got me wondering about the life span of a sinewed bow. I suppose the answer is "it depends" but if kept reasonably dry how long would a sinewed bow be shootable? If it's starting to flake is it still restoreable?

Offline PatM

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2015, 01:59:42 pm »
That's a bad sinew job. Sinew lasts for hundreds of years.

Offline DC

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2015, 02:13:50 pm »
I'm not contradicting you but what part of my description makes you say it's a bad job. I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2015, 02:17:19 pm »
Sounds like he had too much glue. If the sinew is peeling it didn't adhere properly and the cracks could be too much glue and it cracks as it dried.
 Like Pat said, hundreds of years under good conditions. I believe some of the Asiatic horn bows are that old and still shoot.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2015, 02:24:44 pm »
Yup, my guess is the glue wasn't of high quality and/or too much was used. The sinew is just fine Id bet.
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 DC

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2015, 02:32:31 pm »
Thanks

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2015, 05:05:21 pm »
 I have read where bows 100 plus were shot for distance,,
also the sinew job may have been ok at one time,, sinew would be sensitive to being stored in bad conditions,,, who knows really hard to tell,,lots of variables,, :)

Offline mullet

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2015, 09:40:37 pm »
What makes you think it is sinew or glue peeling and not a finish? I've seen TruOil peel after 4 or 5 years along with Poly in a very dry environment.
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Offline PatM

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2015, 10:12:01 pm »
The short draw seems to indicate hesitation.

Offline DC

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Re: Sinew lifetime
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2015, 12:40:05 am »
I wasn't just thin flakes, they were fairly thick in spots.

He wasn't hiding anything, he said," I don't want to pull it to far because I'm afraid it will break."