Gut Backing?

[Sasquatch]

So i was reading in TBB2 String section and it said that gut is equally as strong per mass as sinew.  So i started wondering if it would work as backing.  It obviously would need to be a large animal, but you could cut the tube down one side and get twice the width.  Its thin and uniform and theres a lot of it in say a pig. What are your ideas about using gut as a backing material. Would it be strong enough to hold reflex?

[Onebowonder]

Watching this one.  I've often wondered the same thing.  Additionally, I've wondered if string/cable made of gut would be strong enough to be effective for backing a bow???  Unfortunately I have no answers to share, ...just more curiosity! 

OneBow

[Stoker]

Pig gut like the sausage casing? Just happen to be making deer sausage this weekend. We always have some this weekend might have to retain the left overs.
Thanks Leroy

[randman]

I have seen very old Native American flutes encased in gut. Almost like being encased in rawhide. Helps keep the flute together and probably somewhat moisture proofs it (the outside anyway). You could probably do the same with a bow, sinew the back and when all done and tillered, slide it into a gut encasement and let it dry. Shrink Wrap! Waterproof the sinew. That's similar to what I read they did with snake skins back in the day too. Slide a whole fresh case-skinned snakeskin onto a sinewed bow and let it shrink to dry.Sealed belly and back.

[Sasquatch]

Randman i had the same thought about the shrink wrap  .  TBB2 said that it was as strong as sinew per mass.  My question is will gut work like a long, thin, uniform piece of sinew?  I would want to apply it like rawhide but without the hair removal and the shaving that come along with rawhide. Gut might make an accessible and easy rawhide type backing.  What are yall's thoughts 

[Peacebow_Coos]

I'm an optimist, never tried it but if it's that good of stuff I'd try it!  If it does work, yahoo, if not you're only out a busted gut

[PatM]

You should note that it is actually a very specific portion of gut that is actually virtually identical to sinew. It's not just any portion of the entrails like sausage casing.
 Do a little bit of reading on gut tennis racquet strings and you'll see which portion is a good choice.
 Pope used a gut backing on his composite replica. He likely had sources of medical grade suture material. He said that it was identical to sinew while Massey erroneously said that gut was 'just strips of intestine, which is broadly true but not specifically.

[BowEd]

Yep slide the whole bow into the intestinal casing.Tie the ends shut and let it shrink.Nothing fancy,but maybe some horse hair wrapped onto one of the tie offs.If you want real looking primitive that's it.I'm sure it will work.

[JW_Halverson]

Smoke it and serve it with a good brown mustard, home made sauerkraut and beer!

[BowEd]

You'll have to pick the hair out from between your teeth JW but that's ok it's all natural.

[JW_Halverson]

one word:  Fiber!

[BowEd]

Is that what they call that stuff.

[Sasquatch]

Beadman, JW, and everyone else for your responces.  I think the shrink wrap idea is cool.  Im glad yall brought this back to page 1 it might get more responces.   So another question what part of the gut is the strongest?  is it as strong as raw hide?  will it work like rawhide?  how do you prepare Is smoking allthat required?  My hope is that gut might become my new backing of choice.  I hope it will work like a kinda sinew tape.  You know simply pull it out suck it clean and slap it on

[H Rhodes]

Chittlin' backed bows.....  hmmmm.    Let us know how it works out.  

[DuBois]

I had been wondering about backing with gut or gut hafting somehow but being that I am new to this stuff and haven't seen anything til now on it, I figured it had been tried and failed.
Glad to see it may be doable after all.