Laying out a bow on Osage (what can be done, what can't to get around knots)?

[1776J]

Forget about the red marks or the brown marks or the black marks...go help the lady that is getting the stretch marks.  Dude, YOU OWE HER!  And when the kid is 34 yrs old and moves out of the house you can go back and pick up the bow stave and get back to work.

 

Ha!
She's awesome,... she's fine with me building while she's pregnant (I've been happily waiting on her as much as possible, and of course always available!)...hahaha...
 

[1776J]

Thank you George.  That's the idea with all of the bows I'll build from here on in,... for hunting, not just for looks.

Well friend, you're going to need to seal it up well if you will hunt it hard.  Bows for me are normally unbacked because they're low maintenance.  Sinew has to be carefully sealed and is moisture sensitive.  I think the best hunting bows are unbacked because they are pretty impervious to weather,  I should have been more specific on that last bow.  I had started it decades ago but wasn't good enough at bending wood to finish it.  After learning the dry heat bending method I went back to that bow and finished it for a friend that had been very ill and wanted a character bow.  The bow was too light as I'd left it so I piked about 6" off each end, sinew backed it to be sure it wouldn't break on him when he was hunting it and put snakeskin on it to seal it.  My friend has sold all his compounds and now carries just the osage.  Gotta love that.

George

I'll just weatherproof it then,... no big deal.  That's nice, you made a primitive archer out of him!

[1776J]

One more quick question folks,...

As far as using "hide" glue, to put sinew on...

I'm semi-familiar with the type you have to heat up, but also see that Tightbond makes hide glue in a bottle???  What's that about?
Is it even any good.  The only thing I ever saw was something mentioned briefly regarding Ed Scott using that tightbond stuff.
Other than that, I haven't heard or seen anything about anyone else using it?

Any good suppliers that I'd want to go to/through to get a good hide glue?  Anything to look for when choosing?  (not sure if there are impurities that maybe aren't good to have in it, etc. regarding workability perhaps??)

Thanks again fellas!

[Dean Marlow]

I know nothing when it comes to Tite bond's hide glue. Some people use  knox gelatin which you can get at most grocery stores. I use the Hide glue. I like the clear hide glue that instrument makers use. I think the hide glue is just as important as the sinew. I got my last batch of glue off of the big auction site. I run my hide glue around 130 degree's if I remember right. Dean

[gstoneberg]

Dean's right, the hide glue is really important.   It's too much work to risk the outcome on a glue you aren't sure of.  I don't know what temperature I run, but when it gets too hot to put my fingers in it I turn it down.  Mine (which I bought from 3 Rivers) isn't clear though, more amber colored.  I'd be interested in hearing more about your glue Dean.  Here's what it looks like before adding water:



Stickiest stuff I've ever seen.  You need to heat up whatever glue you use.  The warmth and moisture lengthens the sinew fibers and when they dry it pulls tension into your bow back.  A thick enough layer of sinew will pull reflex into a limb.

George

[bubby]

don't use the liquid hide glue for backing a bow, it has a retarder in it to keep it stable in the bottle, sets too slow and allows the sinew to shrink from the bow.

[JW_Halverson]

I read a book on bookbinding and they recommended using formaldahyde in the hide glue to keep it from gelling...I think that is what the bottled hide glue is.  Yech!

Go for the Knox gelatin, cheap, locally available, and odorless. Wives like that part.

[1776J]

I think the hide glue is just as important as the sinew.

That's exactly what I've been thinking...

Thanks for the advice.

[1776J]

Go for the Knox gelatin, cheap, locally available, and odorless. Wives like that part.

Haha,...
Hmmmm,.... well, I'll just have to do my sinew work while she's asleep or something.  Or I'll just keep a few clothespins around for our noses!