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Author Topic: Leg or Back Sinew?  (Read 10756 times)

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Offline MWirwicki

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Leg or Back Sinew?
« on: December 09, 2011, 07:35:15 pm »
While pondering my next bow build, the thought comes to mind, "Should I try back sinew?"  I've always used LEG for bow backings.  I've heard of others using BACK sinew.  What do you use?  Results?
« Last Edit: December 09, 2011, 07:44:28 pm by MWirwicki »
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Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2011, 07:41:39 pm »
Both for me Matt. I cant tell a diff between them once applied. Back sinew is super easy to shred and apply I think. Leg sinew is hard, generally short adn allot more work to make usable I think. I would use either if it was all I had. I would grab back sinew everytime if it was around.
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Offline Cameroo

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2011, 08:28:07 pm »
I have never sinew backed a bow before, but I did harvest the sinew from the buck I took in September.  I think the only difference is that the back pieces are slightly longer.  It also seemed greasy compared to the leg sinew, but I'm sure if it's prepared properly (some guys suggest bathing it in mild dish soap before drying it), it would function just the same.

If I had the option, I'd choose back sinew just for the longer length.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2011, 08:33:38 pm »
The little sinew backed osage i'm working on now has one thick layer of leg and one thick layer of back. I retrieved the leg sinew from Elkie when she rejected it and I added 4 back sinews over that. The back sinew goes down a lot smoother for me than leg sinew.
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Offline Eric Garza

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2011, 08:53:38 pm »
About six years ago when I started collecting tendons from game processors and cleaning them for personal use and trading, I collected both leg and back sinew. I collected back sinew because it's easier to clean and use, and leg because people seemed to think it was stronger. After one heck of a fall cleaning hundreds of leg and back tendons, I reverse twisted some leg and back sinew into several 2 foot strings of about the same weight and tested breaking strength to see if it was true that leg was stronger.

I didn't see a difference between them at low breaking strains (the strings I made broke at 20-30 pounds of force). I concluded that sinew is sinew, at least in the whitetails I was getting it from. I have since abandoned efforts to process legs because the fibers are so short and so much harder to process and because I could not see any benefit to using it as far as strength goes.

Take that for whatever it's worth.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2011, 10:56:55 pm »
I am certifiably lazy when it comes to processing sinew.  Backs for backing, legs for making glue. 
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Offline LEGIONNAIRE

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2011, 01:25:29 am »
I use leg sinew for most of my bows. The only difference ive noticed is that the leg sinew stretches more than the back sinew. Once it dries up it means the bow will get reflexed more and add a little extra energy. I reckon if I had more back sinew I use it more because its easy to process, other than that Ive gotten pretty good at processing leg sinew so now its not such a big deal. Just my 2 cents.
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Offline Keenan

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2011, 03:55:17 am »
I use both when I have both but mostly leg.
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2011, 06:02:38 am »
I have only used leg sinew for backing bows.  I can only get the back sinew from deer I kill.  I get a lot of legs from a local processor so I have a lot of that.  I'm like LEGIONNAIRE, I don't mind processing leg sinew.  I can get pieces over 15" long from a rear leg of a deer.
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mikekeswick

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2011, 06:08:12 am »
Back for ease of processing but leg for finished result. Once you've done a few (hundred) legs it gets pretty easy. I've found you can get a completely smooth finish when using legs but the back sinew is a little more 'wirery' in texture.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2011, 09:47:57 am »
Quote from: mikekeswick on December 10, 2011, 06:08:12 am
Back for ease of processing but leg for finished result. Once you've done a few (hundred) legs it gets pretty easy. I've found you can get a completely smooth finish when using legs but the back sinew is a little more 'wirery' in texture.


I agree there, legs are smoother even with many shorter pieces.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2011, 10:00:51 am »
  I can't see any difference in strength just leanth. Plus leg sinew is easer to cut out if you process your own.
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Offline MWirwicki

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2011, 10:41:57 am »
Great!  Thanks for the feedback guys!  I've made several sinew backed bows, as I said all with leg sinew.  Just heard of a few fellas using back sinew and wondered except for ease of processing, if there were any performance advantages.  I'm gonna work on another horn composite bow.  Was trying to decide which to start processing.  I have plenty of both.

Matt
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Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

blackhawk

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2011, 12:08:05 pm »
Matt..if your making your first asiatic horn bow,then use what will give you the longest strands. Majority use the back sinew for there horn bows because of longer strands and less joints in the sinew strands where the bundles joint together. Its such a high stress design you don't wanna have weak spots. Not that im a horn bow expert and haven't attempted one yet myself,so take my advice for what its worth,and that's not much.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Leg or Back Sinew?
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2011, 12:20:20 pm »
 Aww come on Chris, dont be so hard on yourself. Remember that time you pointed out to me where the restrooms where? You where right then.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.
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