Wrapping bow tips with rawhide. Any tips?

[rdb]

I am nearing the point of wrapping the tips on my Pit River/Achumawi replica bow. However, in my one and only practice run (made a bow tip the same shape/size as the real one), it turned out not looking so great.  I could not get the top of the tip covered well and ended up with wrinkles there and around the nock area.

Here's what I did: made a template out of paper first and got that to fit ok. I then traced that on to some rawhide; soaked the rawhide in warm water for 1 hr; put some hide glue on; placed it on the tip; then wrapped that with string to hold it in place.

For references sake, I'm trying to do what is shown in The Traditional Bowyers Bible Vol 1, p. 171.

I have studied real specimens at museums and I for the life of me can not figure out how the natives got their rawhide to lay so flat without wrinkling, all the while, maintaining full coverage.

Any tips......or does anyone know of a website with a how-to section on this?

Help much appreciated.

Thanks.

[Robinwho]

I have never even seen one,  but as a taxidermist I may be able to help if I saw a pic of the tip.

[Pat B]

I imagine very thin deer or goat rawhide was probably used. When wet the rawhide can be stretched and formed to the shape then it would shrink as it and the hide glue dried. This is only a guess.I've never done or even seen first hand. I have recently been looking at the short Plains and West Coast  bows in the TBB books and wondering why , but also how about the rawhide tip wraps!   Pat

[rdb]

I imagine very thin deer or goat rawhide was probably used.

Yes, it is very thin. On one old bow, the rawhide had come loose from age/wear and it looked almost as thin as wax paper. For practice, I have been using roadkill squirrel rawhide I made. Interestingly enough, it's just a touch thicker than the rawhide I made from a young deer.

When wet the rawhide can be stretched and formed to the shape then it would shrink as
it and the hide glue dried. This is only a guess.I've never done or even seen first hand.

That's pretty much what I was thinking as well but so far, no worky for me. I do have some ideas that I'm going to play with though.

[rdb]

I have never even seen one,  but as a taxidermist I may be able to help if I saw a pic of the tip.

I have no pics and wouldn't know how to post them if I did.  However, if you have The Traditional Bowyers Bible Vol 1, you can see what I'm trying to do on p. 171.

Thanks.

[Gordon]

I first wrap rawhide backing with an elastic ace bandage. After about an hour the rawhide and glue has set some and I unwrap the bandage. I then work any wrinkles and air pockets out with a metal or wood rod that has been lubricated with a mixture of water and hide glue. I then rewrap the backing and let it dry. I've only used this technique with liquid hide glue - I don't know how well it would work with other types of glue.

[Pat B]

Gordon, That sounds like the ticket.      Pat

[rdb]

I first wrap rawhide backing with an elastic ace bandage. After about an hour the rawhide and glue has set some and I unwrap the bandage. I then work any wrinkles and air pockets out with a metal or wood rod that has been lubricated with a mixture of water and hide glue. I then rewrap the backing and let it dry. I've only used this technique with liquid hide glue - I don't know how well it would work with other types of glue.

Sounds like a great idea. Thanks!

[YewArcher]

This is the way that I do it:

1. Think rawhide. I use very very thin dear rawhide

2. Cut it in a rectangular shape that will wrap the whole tip for about 2-2 1/2"

3. Soak the rawhide in warm water for 1/2 hour

4. Take it out and wrap it around the tip so that it is overlapping by 1/2 a limb....a good overlap.

5. Trim the excess off

6. apply glue of choice to the gluing side of the rawhide. TB2 or hide glue either work well

7. wrap the rawhide back on and squeeze it on with your hands...it should be supple enough that you can mold it

8. After you get it where you want it wrap the entire surface with twine

9. let dry 24 hours

10. remove twine. the twine will give you a ridge effect in the rawhice whic i like....if you dont like it then you can sand the ridges down.

This is a tough thing to explain better with a build along. I will try to do one soon.

SJM

[rdb]

This is the way that I do it:

1. Think rawhide. I use very very thin dear rawhide

2. Cut it in a rectangular shape that will wrap the whole tip for about 2-2 1/2"

3. Soak the rawhide in warm water for 1/2 hour

4. Take it out and wrap it around the tip so that it is overlapping by 1/2 a limb....a good overlap.

5. Trim the excess off

6. apply glue of choice to the gluing side of the rawhide. TB2 or hide glue either work well

7. wrap the rawhide back on and squeeze it on with your hands...it should be supple enough that you can mold it

8. After you get it where you want it wrap the entire surface with twine

9. let dry 24 hours

10. remove twine. the twine will give you a ridge effect in the rawhice whic i like....if you dont like it then you can sand the ridges down.

This is a tough thing to explain better with a build along. I will try to do one soon.

SJM

Thanks, SJM.

Do you cut slits in the rawhide so it molds better around the contours of the nocks?

Thanks again.

[YewArcher]

No, if your rawhide is thin enough you should not need to.


SJM

[M-P]

Hi Folks,   I've been working on a west coast inspired bow lately.  I haven't gotten to the point of wrapping the bent tab nocks yet.  It's cool that  this discussion came up just in time for me to make use of the info.
Ron

[rdb]

Hi Folks,   I've been working on a west coast inspired bow lately.  I haven't gotten to the point of wrapping the bent tab nocks yet.  It's cool that  this discussion came up just in time for me to make use of the info.
Ron

After two practice runs on my "practice" mock-up bow tip, I wrapped my tips this weekend. I found it to be frustrating, time consuming and awkward. However, I'm very pleased with the results and will be able to wrap additional tips with confidence and a lot more speed next time. A few things I discovered along the way...that may or may not help you:

-after pulling the rawhide from the warm water, I wiped the excess water off with a towel and let air dry a few minutes before working. Otherwise, the excess moisture made things slippery and difficult to manipulate. If the rawhide got too dry and stiff to work, I'd just re-soak for 15 minutes or so.
-I used real hide glue which at first, was the same consistency as I used to back the bow. This seemed too runny allowing things to slip around too much. So, what I ended up doing was letting my glue gel and when ready for it, dipped my finger in water then rubbed it on the glue gel then applied that where needed. I should also note that I had wrapped my tips with sinew prior. So, when the moist rawhide was being manipulated around the tip, before I had applied any additional glue, it was picking up some of the hide glue and causing it stick slightly which seemed to add a little grip.
-the thin rawhide can be stretched a bit which was the part I couldn't envision....the process which gets the rawhide around the curves of the nock without wrinkles. Stretching, holding, more stretching, some choice words and lots of manipulation is the only way I can describe it.
-the real key for me was the practice tip. For ease of carving, I made it out some cedar 1x fencing I had in the scrap wood pile. It looks very much like the tip of my bow and is about 6" long. Took me about 15-30 minutes to make.

Good luck and thanks Yew Archer and the others for the help.

[YewArcher]

Great! Glad that you got it on. Lets see some pics when you can.

SJM

[rdb]

Great! Glad that you got it on. Lets see some pics when you can.

SJM

I'd be happy to post pics....if I knew how. It's just about done. I painted it today (red ochre w/sinew & hide glue). Just need to distress it a bit and make the sinew string and touch up the tillering.

How does one post pics here?

Thanks.