56" sinew backed osage static recurve...the beginnings!

[Pat B]

Kenneth, I have has good success belly toasting osage but I won't do it on this one. It is not necessary. Sinew stretches enough so it shouldn't crush the belly.
  David, the last 6" to 7" of each limb is rigid so the sinew will come to that point. I won't add sinew to the static recurves. It is not necessary and would only add unwanted physical weight. The sinew will run from that point on one limb to that point on the other limb tip so both limbs are tied together through the handle.
  Thanks Cipriano.

I started the sinewing today. The first thing I did was to score the back of the bow where the sinew is going to help it adhere better. I used a toothing plane blade for this...

 Photobucket is screwing up so I'll post pics later. Sorry

[criveraville]

Vamonos Pat 

[Pat B]

Damn Photobucket!!! 

[blackhawk]

(Using my imagination)....I'd say its looking good so far     is that a piece of sinew to tie it down into reflex? 

[Gaur]

Bow is shaping up nicely there Pat.  Look forward to seeing it done.

[Pat B]

Chris, at about 80# now this bow is too strong to tie down with sinew so I strung it backwards with a bow string. Once I get the sinew on it and it has time to cure I'll reduce the weight to about55#@26".
 I'll check Photobucket a bit later and post pics if it is working.

[BowEd]

Been waiting to see this bow.I can see it now though already.Son of a gun might be a leaf spring in the beginning.I guess I'm glad someone else has problems with sending these pictures.@$%^(*&)_*%$%%$@#!!!!!!!!!!

[osage outlaw]

Pat, you could email the pics to me and I could try to post them for you.

[Pat B]

Thanks Clint. Photobucket is still screwing up or my computer doesn't get along with Photobucket. I'll email a few to you to post.

[osage outlaw]

I'm trying to post the pics for Pat.  Hopefully they work. 

Pat, I tried to keep them in order.  If I have them messed up let me know and I'll fix them.

[hedgeapple]

Thanks Pat for sharing and thanks Clint for lending a hand in the posting of the photos.

It looks great Pat.  I gotta ask, is that just one strand of sinew you're pulling out of the glue pot.  It looks like you leave the sinew much larger in the processing area than I do.  Maybe, I'm working too hard processing the sinew down to a large diameter thread size???

[osage outlaw]

Dave I was thinking the same thing.  I take mine down to about half that size.

[Pat B]

Thanks Clint. That is the correct order.
 Before sinewing this bow I got everything set up. The crock pot($5 at GoodWill) has water in it and a stainless steel pot floating in the water holds the hide glue. I scrubber scored back of the bow well with Dawn dish soap and rinses it with boiling water just before starting the sinewing. This works better than any other method I've used to degrease the wood.
The first pic is of the toothing plane blade I used to score the back of the bow and the second pic is the scoring. Next is the hide glue sizing on the bow then the first of the sinew layed at the handle. From here I went out each limb to a point about 7" from the tip with the sinew. When done I'll add a wrap to secure both ends of the sinew.
   I back strung this bow so with the bow resting on the tips the handle is about 7 1/4" off the table(induced reflex).
 The next pics are me squeegying out the excess glue from the sinew and laying it down. This first layer has some voids but they will be filled with the next layer, then one last layer to even out the back.
 The last 2 pics show the sinew today. It is almost dry after only one day. I'll give it another day or two before I add the second layer.

[hedgeapple]

I take my sinew down to about 1/5th that size.  Literally, I can thread them in a slightly over-sized sewing needle eye. If I used one of those little wire needle threading tools I could probably thread 80% of my sinew through a regular sewing.  Man, that is bunch of work.  That's why I've only attempted 3 sinew bow and one of those lifted the sinew.  grr.

[Pat B]

Hedge, that is some cow sinew I got from Trapper Rob that was already shreaded out. The strands are pretty big but they are seperated so they are fluffy and accept the glue well. I was hoping to get a smoother backing using the thicker stuff. It flattens out quite well after dipping in the glue.