Author Topic: How to back with Rawhide ?  (Read 3706 times)

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Offline NOMADIC PIRATE

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How to back with Rawhide ?
« on: April 07, 2014, 06:15:00 am »
I'm working on a bow and I'm thinking of backing it with rawhide, I've backed bows with a bunch of different materials but they where much thinner and softer,....should I wrap the rawhide in place ?   and I long to loose all the moisture ?

Thanks
NORTH SHORE, HAWAII

Online Pappy

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2014, 07:06:09 am »
Yes I always soak it until it is soft,then pat it dry as I can,I put it on with TB3 and work it like a snake skin until it starts to hold making sure to keep all the air bubbles out,then wrap with an ace bandage for a few hours,that will do it.I usually leave it a few days in a dry place before I bend it to me sure it has dried out good and all the moisture is gone from the bow. :) Careful as you wrap to let it pull the rawhide to one side or the other. Slow and easy wrap. :)
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Offline Pat B

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2014, 09:05:57 am »
If the rawhide is thin enough you don't have to wrap. When using TB glue I sometimes wrap for about an hour then remove the wrap and work out the air bubbles and excess glue with my fingers, trim the excess from the sides with a sharp razor and set it aside to dry. Give it few days to loose the moisture gained from the glue and wet rawhide.
 Welcome back, Manny.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline ohma2

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2014, 10:36:07 am »
Couldnt give better advice than pappy or pat I just start at one end with hide and hold the the rest up letting it down slowly and lightly rubbing the air out as I move to the other end.

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2014, 01:32:32 pm »
If you do wrap with cordage or Ace bandage and you end up with a pattern of pressure marks in the rawhide, you can sponge the rawhide with water and the rawhide will swell again.  As it dries it will often lose those marks. 

This, of course, only works if you use a glue that is not water soluble!!!

Good to see you again, Manny.  You came up in conversation several times in the last week.  Lot of folks missed you!
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Offline PatM

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2014, 01:47:20 pm »
The rolls of stretchy gauze that you can buy for first aid are ideal for wrapping rawhide in place. They give nice even pressure and allow plenty of air circulation for drying. They won't leave marks either if you just roll them on snugly.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2014, 04:19:33 pm »
The rolls of stretchy gauze that you can buy for first aid are ideal for wrapping rawhide in place. They give nice even pressure and allow plenty of air circulation for drying. They won't leave marks either if you just roll them on snugly.

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Offline NOMADIC PIRATE

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2014, 05:56:29 pm »
thanks Guys,

I'll should back it this week and hopefully have a shootable bow in a couple  ;D ;D ;D
NORTH SHORE, HAWAII

Offline PatM

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2014, 06:46:58 pm »
I'll expect to see your usual mess.  ;)

Offline adb

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2014, 08:29:27 pm »
Hey, Manny! Long time...

To avoid leaving marks, I lay down a thin strip of leather or something similar before I wrap the rawhide. I also put a layer of wax paper between the two so they don't end up glued together.

Offline Vincenator

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2014, 10:24:42 pm »
Hey Manny,Don't you shoot airguns?Thought I saw you some
where on the yellow.Ha,Ha!
Good luck on the rawhide.I want to back some bows with rawhide in the future.

Offline NOMADIC PIRATE

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2014, 10:53:50 pm »
Yellow ? ..what's the Yellow ?  ;)
NORTH SHORE, HAWAII

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2014, 02:37:51 am »
Little pieces of scrap leather or sheet cork are nice to have handy if the bow back has any recesses or divets.  Use these to keep your wrap pressure applied to the low spots.
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Traxx

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2014, 01:43:42 pm »
Hey now!!!!!

I like the cork idea.

Offline NOMADIC PIRATE

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Re: How to back with Rawhide ?
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2014, 05:54:04 pm »
Did my Final Belly tempering and I'll start doing the backing after lunch  ;D
NORTH SHORE, HAWAII