Question About Reinforcing Spliced Hickory Backing

[Xamllew]

Hello everyone, I just joined because I wanted to ask about a hickory backed longbow I've been slaving over. I backed the bow with two 35" hickory slats joined at the handle, however I did a pretty sloppy job with the splice between the slats (simple scarf joint with poor gluing surface).  Because the bow is a bend-in-handle type, I'm worried the joint may pop apart the instant it begins to bend. Is there any way I can reinforce this joint? I planned to wrap it tightly in fishing line and epoxy over that.

[NeolithicMan]

The fishing line (i recomend thick braided for durability and astetics) should be plenty if wrapped tight and glue coated. what wood is the hickory backing on?

[Pat B]

You might try a hemp string wrap set in glue. I use it on most bows but started on a bow with a spliced backing. It is very strong and gives a good all weather handle wrap. I use Massey finish(2ton epoxy thinned with acetone) to seal and set the handle wrap. I get the hemp string from WalMart. 

[PatM]

Better to span the splice with a thin overlay and then wrap on top of that.

[Xamllew]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
@NeolithicMan, the belly wood is red oak, so I'm keeping the backing fairly thin and trapped.

@Pat B, Thanks for the advice, though I plan on having a leather wrap over the splice so the hemp wont be seen. Don't want that epoxy mess to be seen or felt.

@PatM, ah, great idea, what material would be appropriate though? Just another piece of hickory?


I wonder if Dacron b-50 would be a better choice than the fishing line for wrapping.

[PatM]

Yes  a thin piece with the ends tapered to a feathered edge.  Bowstring will be waxed and not glue well. so you'd be better off with braided fishing line of a non stretch material.

[NeolithicMan]

I just finished a red oak selfbow from a tree I cut last winter. its unbacked but the grain on the belly looks awesome when finished up with a burnish and tru-oil.

[Del the cat]

+1 On what Pat says. Over lay a thin slat, that will give a huge glue area. A splice has only a tiny area of gue where the backings meet.
You can even sand down the join to give a dead flat slightly concave surface first so that when the job is finished it doesn't show as a bulge.
I think any wrapping is almost irrelevant, but a 5-6" long thin overlay will do the job.
Del