Glen I wish I had enough length to do that. But I made the siyah with an arch (top center) from the beginning of the splice, so it is going to be pretty stiff in that glue line. My thinking is that I'll only get bend up to the siyah and not into it. I'm going to wrap the spot pretty thick with sinew to try and bolster things, but I may glue a little something on the belly side of the splice first. I have the really bumpy parts of both of these horn "quarters", I could always make them flat and use them there. I cut them off the pieces originally because there won't be much thickness by the time I flatten them. Might be just the thing to glue on the v-splices.
As for why I glued the horn on first, I have several reasons.
1. I think that is the way the tradtitional composite bowyers do it. Gotta think they've got it figured out. Correct me if I'm wrong on this being the order of events in a typcial Asiatic construction.
2. Its easier to glue strips on a flat (width and length) surface. I see the glue lines here as being a potential weak link, especially with the use of horn strips. I was told this can be done though.
3. I felt like by gluing the horn on the straight core, I was "splitting the difference" in terms of stress on back vs/ belly. If I glued the horn on a pre-reflexed core, or one with induced reflex from sinew, I would be putting even more stress on the horn when I draw the bow. Again, my horn is somewhat thin by horn bow standards and the splice thing doesn't help its strength I'm sure. I'm not going to try for too much refelx in my sinew job either. I'm going with rather mild specs for my first try.
4. In gluing horn first, and then sinewing, I can round the sides with sinew and shape the bow nicely. I'll probably round the edge of the core, and then run a thin layer of sinew over the sides and to the edge of the horn.
