Interesting stuff to use as backing?

[makenzie71]

I just saw a cool idea about using bark like sinew (broken into fibers and glued down) and I've seen people use whole bark pieces.  I've used hemp chord and cloth, as well as linen and flax.  What's something that could look really interesting?  I've been thinking of yucca plant leaf fibers (the leafs are tough as hell).  There's also a plant that groes in south Texas...a variety of palmetto, I believe...that can get some really long, tough, sharp leaves on it that I've been thinking of.

Ideas?

[sailordad]

if it adds weight,it will just slow down the limbs

[Justin Snyder]

Pat is the king of strange backings.   Show them the tissue bows Pat.  

[Dano]

Tissue paper works good if you don't have a reel bad back. This was done with Christmas paper. It is a hickory backed osage, the hickory had a small runoff.

[mullet]

 There was a thread on PaleoPlanet about using processed American Cheese as a backing. It's pretty tough after it is left in the Sun.

[NTD]

There was a thread on PaleoPlanet about using processed American Cheese as a backing. It's pretty tough after it is left in the Sun.

Really Really?

[makenzie71]

I would love to see this cheese backed bow.

[The Gopher]

if it adds weight,it will just slow down the limbs

but they can still serve a purpose, all backings add mass, the only backings that add performance too are sinew and gasp...fiberglass

a marginal piece of wood can be made bow worthy with a backing that prevents splinters.

brown paper bag
blue jeans
silk shirt
linen pajama bottoms
tissue paper - PatB's tiger bow was great too bad it died (Shere Khan)

[mullet]

 I don't think anybody really backed a bow with it. But somebody, forget who, said he was going to try it. I don't think you could do it and live where there are roaches. But, I wonder what that stuff is made with. It is like soft plastic or rubber when it's left in the sun for a while.

[George Tsoukalas]

Mullet, that's a pretty cheesie backing. Jawge

[Pat B]

You mean this one?     This is tissue over rawhide.


 
  Silk neck ties work great and come with a design. Cheap at the second hand store($1.00 ea)

[sailordad]

dan, in his first post he asked if it could be used like sinew
thats why i responded with my post
sinew has very litle mass,so you get performance and protection
i would think even the fibers from the bark of an elm or the like would have much more mass than sinew and wouldnt give the
same benefits that sinew does.
it would probably work with hide glue as a protective layer
but to work like sinew as far as protection from blowing the back and performance,not gonna happen i dont think

[woodstick]

i got some cherry bark i got from pat, just waiting to make the right bow to put it on, i seen some bows with it and it looks good. i use rawhide on allmost all my bows i make.

[The Gopher]

I agree tim, there is no replacement for sinew.

i think he meant using it "like sinew" in the application only, fibers glued down in a linear matrix.

I believe Baker has backed bows "like sinew" using combed flax.

[AndrewS]

You can use flax to make a thin backing for protection and you can use more flax (build the flax layer up to 1/8 thickness) for increase draw weight. Raw flax is lighter then wood and it is stronger in tension then wood.
Application is like sinew......