RED OAK Backing question?????

[Don Wilson]

Hello everyone! Skyler and I are starting a couple of  board bows for Christmas presents and we have a few questions......I don't know if we're gonna back them, but What types of backings are suitable for Oak, both wood and non-wood??  Say that we do back them, Can we glue in some reflex on the tips?  How is Eastern red cedar for backing and is it ok or not for the board itself??? Say that we build an Oak backed with hickory, can we get by with tite-bond 111 ? We have boards in ERC, red oak, Cherry, black locust, hickory,,,,,,,,What combo would you use? Any tips out there for us??? Thanks in Advance and we'll post some pics......Don and Skyler

[adb]

Hi,
Oak is OK, but I'm not a big fan. It's slow and heavy. You've got locust, cherry... back either of those with 1/8" hickory, and you can't go wrong. I've never tried ERC as a backing, but it makes fine selfbows. TB3 is pretty much the only glue I'm using these days... it's waterproof, and holds like iron. I've never had a failure with TB3. Good luck!!

[bootboy]

ive had a lot of problems with tightbond 3 lately myself. Same with hide glue even. I dont know what Im doing wrong.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've backed red oak boards with silk and burlap. Linen would work too. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

[adb]

Bootboy,
If you're having trouble with TB3, or any other glue, make SURE your surfaces are CLEAN and free of dust, and that they match precisely. Degrease the oily woods, like ipe and osage with acetone or alcohol. Glue works at the molecular level, and if the glue Romeo is looking for the wood Juliette, and there is something in the way, you're not going to get a strong bond.

[bootboy]

I thought as much, Though i did use accetone, and its oak! to elm.
Maybe its just dusty

[bootboy]

and you once backed a bow with BURLAP???!!
how? isnt it seriously oilly stuff

[Hillbilly]

For wood backings, a thin (1/8" or less) backing of hickory would work well with the oak, ERC, cherry, or locust. ERC is weak in tension, so I wouldn't try it as a backing-it's better as a belly wood. If your hickory board has good grain, I would saw it into backings and use the others as bellies. TB3 should work fine if, as mentioned, you clean the surfaces and have a really good fit. You can glue in some reflex if you have the belly wood evenly floor tillered enough to bend it into even reflex.

BB, have you tried another bottle of glue? That one could maybe have been frozen, or had too much shelf time?

[bootboy]

no i havent. Though i did try hide glue. Theres to things I have glued. The oak handle to my oak bow. Aswell as an handle to an elm bow. both popped of when drawn back in floor tillering; and not much pressure was applied

[adb]

Hey, Bootboy
Ah hah... handles popping off is a different story!! No glue will work if you glue on a handle and the bow bends it's full length, thru the handle. If you're going to glue on a riser, no problem... you have to tiller the bow accordingly. It can not bend much at the riser. get it bending right out of the fades, and then go from there. Good luck.
Sorry Don, I'm not meaning to railroad your post!!

[Hillbilly]

Yep. the area that you're glueing the riser to has to be thicker than the fades/limbs. If it bends, nothing will hold a riser on unless it's made of thin lams of something flexible, like leather.

[DanaM]

Hickory backed hickory would be a good choice, especially in a dry climate. If you doing wood backing
make sure the grain is correct as hillbilly said. Or wear a helmet. I've had good luck with linen backings with TB3.

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, I've used burlap. I like it. Jawge 

[david w.]

I have heard to many horror stories of unbacked ERC bows exploding on the tillerring tree so i wouldnt back a bow with it

on my red oak bow i used drywall tape. i worked but it is not the prettiest stuff so i painted it black, after that i looked better then i bought a huge peice of linen at Goodwill for $1 and i plan on using that because i heard linen/flax makes a fine backing

[Joe M]

Don, have you considered maybe going with straight grain hard rock maple that would require no backing?  Here is a resized picture of two maple bows I finished last week for my son and myself.  The top bow is his and finishes; 25# @ 24" x 60" long, and the bottom bow (mine) is 38# @ 28" x 67 1/4" long.  Both shoot great and no backing is required.

C:\Documents and Settings\marty martin\My Documents\100_0098.jpg



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