Glue question

[wood]

Has anyone used Titebond III to sinew back a bow? If so, how did it work out. I have use hide glue with rawhide but was wondering if the Titebond would be better because it is waterproof. 

[JW_Halverson]

I have read from other people's posting that they have used various wood glues with the sinew, but I am not convinced that they are going to get all the benefits of the sinew without the use of the hide glue.  There was another post recently on using artificial sinew and one of the replies went into detail on how the hide glue and the sinew worked hand-in-hand.  After all, they are virtually made up of the same proteins and such.

When I do a sinew job, I finish it out with two coats of hide glue over the sinew once it has dried a few days.  It fills what little I get for gaps and makes a nice smooth base for whatever goes on next (rawhide, snakeskin, fresh air).  How about doing your sinew job with hide glue and then at the end, cover it with a few coats of TBIII for waterproofing?

[shamus]

With sinew you want hide glue. 

[osage outlaw]

I read a great article about the difference in hide glue and wood glue for sinew, but I can't remember what book it was in.  I guess that doesn't help much.  I use knox gellatin hide glue.  It's cheap and easy.

[adb]

Another thumbs up for knox gelatin.

[JW_Halverson]

Always close at hand at your nearest grocery store.  Unless it sets in the fridge for a few weeks, it never smells up the house.  And if you got extra left over from the sinewing job, add some sugar and fruit juice and call it Knox Blox!

[walkabout]

i believe the benefits of hide glue over wood glues is that hide glue itself shrinks, along with the sinew. wood glue does not shrink to the same extent. also, hide glue is very chemically compatible with sinew, as wood glue is something diferent. with that said, TB3 is waterproof, and i know lots of people who use it when laying down sinew. i think its just a matter of preference really.

[Pat B]

To get the full benefit of the sinew you need to use hide glue. As a backing TBIII and sinew works well but not with the same benefits as with hide glue.

[wood]

You guys have convinced me. I'll stick with the hide glue.

Would like to hear more about using gelatin. Sounds a lot cheaper that buying regular hide glue.

[walkabout]

i believe the proper method is 1 part gelatin powder 2 parts water, although someone else may chime in with how they do it. just heat and use. you want it to the consistency of warm syrup. there has been some debate over gelatin, because it may very well made with bone and other things rather than hide, however it seems to perform just as normal hide glue does.

[Justin Snyder]

I have always been amused by this conversation. Sinew takes weeks to fully cure.  If TB III is waterproof and you use it on sinew once the glue is dry but all of the moisture hasn't left the sinew wouldn't it stop the sinew from curing all the way?

[walkabout]

i dont think it would stop it from fully curing, however i would think it wouldnt allow the sinew to completely pull back upon itself, which causes the reflex in sinewed bows. just a theory, but i think i did read an article somewhere about it and wood glue doesnt allow it to shrink completely as hide glue does.

[El Destructo]

Titebond is awesome for what it is made for...Gluing Wood...Knox is great for fletching Arrows...hafting Knives...and keeping your Hair and Nails in great Shape...but I will never use it again for Sinew Backing a Bow....just does not work as well as Hide Glue does...just doesn't have all the properties of Hide Glue...Hide Glue is just that...Hide Glue...Knox is Collagen Glue...Hide Glue is made from Hide Scraps...Sinew and tendon Scraps....Knox is made from Bone and Joint Collagens...both work great...but I will spend the extra and get a top quality Luthiers Hide Glue...and save the Knox for my Wives Finger Nails....JMO.........

[Marc St Louis]

Titebond is awesome for what it is made for...Gluing Wood...Knox is great for fletching Arrows...hafting Knives...and keeping your Hair and Nails in great Shape...but I will never use it again for Sinew Backing a Bow....just does not work as well as Hide Glue does...just doesn't have all the properties of Hide Glue...Hide Glue is just that...Hide Glue...Knox is Collagen Glue...Hide Glue is made from Hide Scraps...Sinew and tendon Scraps....Knox is made from Bone and Joint Collagens...both work great...but I will spend the extra and get a top quality Luthiers Hide Glue...and save the Knox for my Wives Finger Nails....JMO.........

Hmm.  Would make the sinew backed reflexed recurves I made many years ago a fluke?  I think not.  I used gelatine on all of them and all spit arrows out at 180+ fps with 10 GPP arrows.

[bcbull]

ill just stick with the best piano makers hide glue i can buy  my 2 cents brock