Rawhide and sycamore question

[MaceG]

Will a rawhide backing keep a bow from taking as much set? I just finished my first bow (YES!) and as awful as it is, it feels good knowing I got it to full draw, but she's took quite a bit of set. I used some sycamore from an ice storm and the moisture content may have been a little high. But would it have lessened the set if I had backed it with rawhide?

Thanks for you help.
                         Mace

[bambule]

Hi MaceG,

Rawhide won't stop set - you can let the bow dry more and then heattreat the limbs with a heatgun. This can reduce set - but you have to be careful. Sycamore will take crysals if you treat it too much.

Greetz
Cord

[Pappy]

What Cord said on the rawhide,You might clamp it to a form of some kind and put it in a dry place for a while and let it get good and dry,that might help,it will probably also pick up weight so you may have to adjust the tiller and weight a little.Wet wood will take set pretty bad. Love to see some pictures.
  Pappy