Applying backings

[Ahnlaashock]

I bought black silk for the back of this red oak board bow.    I sanded the back of the bow down to about 400 grit.  I put the first strip in a bowl and saturated it with Titebond III.  I used it to apply a tack layer to the wood surface.  I then had a blast untwisting and flattening out a strip of silk saturated with wood glue!  It is on there and mostly smooth still I hope!   I decided to try to do the other end easier.  I spread glue on it and then laid the silk in the glue.  I then saturated the silk with glue while it was in place.  Easier, but still not easy or a perfect smooth surface achieved. 
It is clamped up to another red oak board with a layer of static plastic wrap between them.  I think I should have used a cushion layer of some kind on the protected side to provide even pressure across the entire width. 
I don't know if all backings are like silk seems to be, but it is almost as bad as the cling wrap about rolling up, sticking to itself,  and not wanting to straighten back out it seems.   
Hope it turns out better than I suspect it is going to! 

[El Destructo]

I always just size the Bow with Glue...wet the Silk down good with Glue....lay the two together....squeegee the excess Glue out with My Finger as I set the Silk down well...and leave it set up...as it is getting tack I rub it down a bit as it dries....but I have never clamped down a Silk Backing ...or wrapped it with anything

[Ahnlaashock]

I am a newbie!  I have no doubt there are better ways to do it than the one I just reported on!  The Titebond III was getting really tacky very quickly.  I clamped it down to dry until morning at least.   
Despite being warned in virtually all written instructions, I was not prepared for the amount of moisture the fresh sanded red oak sucked up.  One end literally almost cleared up while I put the other end on.  Different glue or different wood prep.  Maybe a sizing coat allowed to almost dry or maybe even dried and sanded before when using these very dry oak boards. 
Like I said, I am a newbie and I was warned! 

[Aosda]

I seized the back and let it almost dry.  I did the silk full length, layed it out on a piece of cardboard and brushed it with a watered down TBII.  I layed down the first 6" and used a spring clamp to keep the end from shifting, then rubbed the silk down the length of the bow.  Brushed on more of the glue mix and kept smoothing out(3 times).  I used TBII because I've noticed that TBIII dries dark.   When the bow cracked, the silk held and is still on the bow.

Reminded me why I hate doing wallpaper   If you're gonna be doing more silk backings, I would suggest going to Home Depot, in the paint section look for some wallpaper tools like a small squeegee or brush.  Talk to the sales people and let them know what you're doing, they'll be able to help ya.

[snedeker]

I smear glue on the back and put the fabric on dry and it takes scarcely a minute.  I have found bows done this way are very effective.  I have experimented with adding tension by reflexing the bow but I'm not entirely convinced it makes much difference

Dave

[George Tsoukalas]

There's silk info on my site. jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Ahnlaashock]

Well, it looked so bad I ripped the silk back off.  I have to scrape the glue off and sand again before I make my next attempt!  Will try again later today likely! 
Have a beautiful day all!

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

I always just size the Bow with Glue...wet the Silk down good with Glue....lay the two together....squeegee the excess Glue out with My Finger as I set the Silk down well...and leave it set up...as it is getting tack I rub it down a bit as it dries....but I have never clamped down a Silk Backing ...or wrapped it with anything

...no need to complicate things with fabric backings, ....the above method is the simple and effective way to do it

[Ahnlaashock]

It is done for the second time.  I laid the cloth down dry in the glue that was starting to tack and then worked glue into the silk after it was on the bow. 
Mucxh easier and it worked better.  Because of the speed with the Titebond III, I glued the bow from one end to the other working to keep it even and making sure it was rubbed into the wood full length.  Don't know if that helps, but it makes me feel better!  I worked from one end to the other and then started with the silk on the fresh end first.  Mistake!  The softer glue seemed to want to create wrinkles and problems.  The second strip that was put down over the tackier glue end went down easy and almost perfect. 
Anyway, it is drying now so I will find out how well it worked tomorrow or the next day I guess when I clean it up and the start the tillering for real!   

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Wet your fabrics,...it will never wrinkle again 

[Ahnlaashock]

Can you wet fabrics for use with Titebond III? 

[El Destructo]

I wet it down with thinned Glue...just thin your Titebond 3 down to get it really runny....have the Bow limbs already sized and dry....put another thin coat on the Limbs.....soak the Fabric in the thinned Glue and lay it down...just that simple....no need in wrapping anything or making it any harder that this...it has worked every time for Me...

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Can you wet fabrics for use with Titebond III? 

Yeahhh

This is what I do :

wet the 2 strips of fabric, stretch it, hung them on something, put TB III on one limb, grab one of the strips, lie it down, work the excess glue out, repeat with the other limb,....and it doesn't take much more to do it than it takes writing about it 

The wet fabrics make the TB III suck them in