leave the bark on?

[Pat B]

I wonder if the timing matters when the stave is cut as to weather the bark will stick permanrntly or not. Like early in the dormant season as compared to during the middle of the dormant season to late in the dormant season before the new wood beging to grow. I will reread the article in the old PA and see if that is explaned.
  I have made a few bows with small amounts of inner bark left on for camo and like Jawge said, eventually some or all of these pieces of this will peel off.    Pat

[GregB]

Like Hillbilly said, the river birch peals off in thin layers. What you see curling on the tree, if you pull a piece of that bark off it is made up of 3-4 thin layers. The outer layer has the white-gray color, the inner layers are a reddish brown more solid color.

I was thinking of separating the layers and only using the outer layer, then gluing that down to the back and wrapping it like you would a snake skin until the glue drys. I'm not sure if it would need to be soaked first or not. I've got a bow in the works that I might try it on. Would that thin layer hold up to years of shooting when it's sealed?

[Pat B]

Greg, I think that after it is sealed, you should hasve no problem with the duribility of birch bark.    I may have a few longer pieces that I will bring to the Classis and you can have them if you want them.    Pat

[Hillbilly]

I don't think there's much of a problem with bark that's glued on to a bow as a backing, (as opposed to leaving naturally attached bark on). I've seen lots of bows backed with birch bark, cherry bark, and such. There are some really old Asian composite bows with birch bark over the sinew.