I read the article today and having done many hide and leather backings, the very first lesson I learned is if you don't stretch the living wee out of the wet hide, or leather before gluing it on, the backing only adds mass to the bow. We know this doesn't make the bow any faster. There is no help other than to keep a splinter down if you do rasp the back of your bow like in the photo. That too isn't needed from what I have learned.. A little rough up with 60 grit will hold it down just fine.
Secondly making claims about performance without chronograph numbers, arrow, draw length and witnesses is a bit absurd..Not to mention the other stuff already taliked about here..
After the first article I naturally had to be a little skeptical since I was a commercial diver for 20 years, and know quite well what happens to wood in salt water. I don't see any of the coastal bowyers running out to repeat this trick. The local indians didn't do any of these practices, and we live a half mile from the beach..go figure
Rich-
