Putting bark on the back of bows

[BowEd]

It's a bit time consunming but putting bark on the back of bows is pretty neat I think.I used birch bark just lately over sinew.Used smooth on epoxy and wrapped it with innertube.Messy clean up but it's pretty neat.I've heard choke cherry bark can be used.Is there other barks out there that can be or have been used.

[Pat B]

I've used birch bark and choke cherry bark for bow backings. The birch is only decorative but the choke cherry can add a little performance too. Both are cool looking! 

[BowEd]

The birch bark is pretty waterproof too.I just sanded or peeled it to paper thin and glued it on.The choke cherry bark might be more of a challenge to put on.

[Bryce]

The birch bark is pretty waterproof too.I just sanded or peeled it to paper thin and glued it on.The choke cherry bark might be more of a challenge to put on.

I used a piece of old carpet foam and a bicycle tire inner tube split in half like a giant rubber band.
And wrap it up. Then unwrap an hour or two later, fix any bubbles and wrap around any trouble areas.
And once dry hit it with steel wool. Even on an uneven surface this method works. The results are excellent. Can't say enough good things about cherry bark.

[okie64]

That is a beauty Bryce. I would like to know if anyone has ever tried erc bark? In the summer it peels off in long sections and has that pretty brownish-red color to the inner bark. Looks like it would make a really pretty backing if sanded thin enough, Im just not sure how it would hold up under tension.

[Pat B]

ERC bark has very little tension strength and any bark backing has to be strong in tension or at least give a ltlittle if stretched.
  I did similar as Bryce with the cherry bark but used blue board insulation board between the bark and the tube wrap. The insulation board(like the old carpet foam) helps keep the pressure equal on the irregular bark backing.
  Also, I cleaned off the lichens and mosses form one bow I backed with cherry bark but left it on another for came and it worked well.

[Bryce]

I'm gonna use the patB method next time and leave the lichens on. Makes good camp for sure!

[randman]

Okie, Cedar bark (inner cambium bark) has no tension  properties but if you soak 1/2 wide strips in water, they get soft and supple and you can wrap it as a handle wrap (leave it the natural thickness of 1/16" or so). Shrinks and hardens as it dries (like rawhide). Makes beautiful all weather handle wraps. Natives around here (puget sound) used the bark for baskets, hats and clothing and lashings. They used western red cedar but incense cedar, erc and all cedars (and some cypress) have a similar inner bark. I never throw away cedar bark.

[Bryce]

ERC is a juniper

[youngbowyer]

is there a how to thread on here for backing a bow with bark? Also what kind of birch is used for backing the bow?

[randman]

Yeah, I knew ERC is juniper  But the same goes for juniper bark, been used for baskets, sandals, cradles, cordage and thatching by indigenous peoples for eons. Which makes me wonder, what if you made cordage out of the bark fibers and then glued the cordage lengthwise on the back of a bow? Might look real interesting and maybe add weight?

[KShip85]

I've always kinda wanted to try this.  Would sycamore bark work too?


Kip

[Bryce]

Hmmm... I've made rope from cedar bard and it was very strong. But as a backing? I'm not to sure it has enough stretch.

[SLIMBOB]

I've made handle wraps and strike plates from it.  I'm with Bryce, not much stretch if any in it.

[BowEd]

youngbowyer....I think different types of birch bark can be used.It peels or sands in layers to nice creamy brown colors of different shades.I like it from larger diametered trees but smaller ones will work too.You can use either side of the bark if you wish.Whichever looks the best to your liking.I took mine down to paper thin[less than 1/32" thick] as thin as a lot of snake skins and it still was very tough.I think tougher than snake skin myself.It stretches very good.It has resin qualities in it that function very good in waterproofing a sinew backed bow.Birch bark oil can be extracted from it too.Total addition of weight added to the bow was only 1/4 ounce per limb @ 20" per limb.To put it on a regular self bow would'nt be neccassary.Stain or something of that order could be used for that.The old time horn bowyers in Asia knew the value of it and used it all the time on their horn bows.So you know it stretches very good for their backwards C profiles.