Oven cleaner & osage

[Stick Bender]

Hi Fellas  There was a thread a while back on using oven cleaner for degreasing osage but can't seem to find it , I have a bow ready for sinew & was wondering for you guys that have done it how it worked out for you Pro/Con or any other methods ?

[stuckinthemud]

Oven cleaner is pretty aggressive stuff, I would try it on a scrap piece and then leave it a few days to see if there are any long term effects - would you need to neutralise it? Probably need to use a good strong soap to wash out the oven cleaner, if so, then using the OC might be pointless as the strong soap would be enough on its own........

[upstatenybowyer]

I got the idea from one of Simson's build-alongs. It worked great for me. It leaves an interesting "bubbly" look, but if your backing w/sinew you won't even see it. It definitely got rid of the wood's oil- when I rinsed the cleaner off the water was VERY orange.

[Stick Bender]

Yep that's the thread I was looking for I will have to go back & hunt it down when I get some time I have sinewed Maple & Hickory & just used acid tone & soap & bolling water but was warned osage is very oily

[upstatenybowyer]

I'm pretty sure Simson's website has the build-along you're looking for.

[Bob W.]

I've backed several Osage bows and have used Dawn dish soap and very hot water to rinse and have had excellent results. I learned this from Pat B.  and several others on this site. Good luck!

[PatM]

 Use Dawn and scrub with a stiff brush and rinse well. Do it several times.  I use this to degrease Ipe and it works really well.

[Badger]

    I go along with the dawn soap and a course scrub pad. I give it a quick once over and have never had a problem. I don't even degrease ipe anymore I just sand and go. I made at least a dozen ipe bows last year and none of them let go.

[bradsmith2010]

whatever soap you use,,,the boiling water is key,, sounds like a nice project,,

[Pat B]

I scrub with Dawn and rinse with boiling water. Works great, is relatively quick and the wet back is ready to accept the hide glue.

[Floridabowyer]

Stickbender,
I have built several sinew backed Osage bows and use oven cleaner on the backs of each one to remove the "oil" out of each one with great results. Maybe I continue doing it out of habit but it works well. I do create a roughed surface by lightly using a hacksaw blade longitudinally on the back and then use oven cleaner on the back until wiping with paper towels shows only a slight yellow stain on them after about 3-4 applications. I then use dawn with warm water to remove the residual oven cleaner and proceed with sinew backing. Not once has the sinew lifted off the back of any of my bows and now wouldn't do it any other way. Make sure to wash the back thoroughly until when rubbing your fingers on the back creates a "squeaky" feel. Hope this helps.
Erik

[PEARL DRUMS]

Skip the harsh cleaners and just scratch it up with sand paper first.

[stuckinthemud]

Any point in scoring it like on a hornbow?

[PatM]

Too much of a good thing. Hide glue sticks to glass, it doesn't need that much of a foothold in wood.

[Pat B]

I usually used a toothing plane to score the back of a bow to be sinewed but only lightly to increase the surface area to be glued.