Questions relating to fabric backings

[Shiloh]

Hey guys, I've got a few questions I'm hoping to get answered. I started making bows for myself a couple years back, but now that people know it seems that they're coming out of the woodwork asking me to make one for them!  I made a linen-backed red oak board bow for a friend as kind of a trial run, just to see how he liked it, and things turned out well enough that now I've got four or five people asking for bows.

Anyway, I've come up with a pretty basic formula for what I'm doing: Every bow I make, unless the customer wants something different, is a 70 to 72" long red oak bow, made from a standard 1"x2"x6' board from home depot (I know those aren't the real dimensions, but meh) tillered I with a stiff glue-on handle and limbs that taper from 1.5" at the fades to 1/2" wide at the tips. I feel comfortable taking red oak up to about 55#, though most of mine have been in the 30# to #40 range so far.

I've been using linen fabric as a backing, after a few REALLY ugly bows I made with drywall tape as a backing. But the problem I always run into with linen is that it frays at the edges when cut, even after I've glued it down to the bow. It hasn't created any issues thus far, but its still got me worried. So...

-What can I do to reduce fraying with linen?

-Are there any helpful tips you guys can give me when it comes to actually applying it?

-What are some other fabrics that work well? I've seen silk used before, but what about something like canvas?

Thanks!

[George Tsoukalas]

Put some glue on an artist's  brush and apply it to the edges. Let dry and lightly sand. Jawge

[dwardo]

I use silk a bit and found its best to apply a your finish one coat or two max and let it dry.
Then sand from back to belly only whilst constantly turning the sandpaper to use a clean cutting surface each stroke using a cylindrical object with sand paper wrapped around it. 45 degree to the bows length.
Then apply your other coats of finish. This helps for clean lines.

Probably didn't explain that very well.... 

[Shiloh]

Thanks guys, I'll definitely be giving that a shot sometime in the near future.

[Hrothgar]

Shiloh, using either a rat tailed file or a regular file you can get a clean, even line. No need to cut off the excess at all, the file will do it, and very little fraying.

[Shiloh]

Would you recommend a fine or coarser file? I've literally got a drawer full of them, so there's quite a few choices. 

[Hrothgar]

Fine is better, by working at an angle from the top, rather than straight down the side of the limb you will get a cleaner line and not damage or mark the side of the limb.

[osage outlaw]

That is the way I trim snake skins.  It works very well.

[Shiloh]

Sorry to necro this thread, guys, but I've just got one more quick question. Does anyone have any tips when it comes to applying linen with titebond III?

[bow101]

Silk is a pain to get out all the wrinkles. I did one with denim, turned out ok just needed 3 coats of TB. If using TB on the silk the glue color clouds the fabric design. That's my 2 bits worth.

[Hrothgar]

Shiloh, I've only used TB and TBII but I imagine you would treat TBIII the same.  Be generous with the glue; overlap the material, don't be stingy if you are cutting your own strips; after placing the material on top the glue I make sure it is saturated and uniformally applied by rubbing the backing with my fingers. This also alleviates any air pockets or bubbles. Some guys might go back the next day and apply more glue on top the backing material, but I personally don't like to  see a glue build-up. At this time you can add a little more glue to any edges or 'bubbles' that didn't get pasted good the first time around. Then 24 hours after the glue has dried I use the rat tail file. If the edge of the limb happens to get marked too badly, then use fine sand paper to remove any marks. Linen is my material of choice. It may not be authentic with native american bows, but it is still considered primitive.

[Shiloh]

Thanks guys, it came out great. I'll be trimming off the excess tomorrow, hopefully the person I'm making it for likes how it came out.