Alternate backing material?

[islandpiper]

I have been wondering if strands of dacron string making material could be glued on as a backing like sinew is.  Either single strands right off the roll or untwisted and used as just a group of  fillements.   The stuff is light, should glue ok and not very stretchy.  Any comments or ideas on this?  thanks, piper

[whitewoodshunter]

It might work. I've used art. sinew be beore, It won't draw in a reflex like real sinew but will add some strength and add some securety.

[JackCrafty]

Backing depends heavily on the glue that you use.  If you can find a glue that will attach the backing to the wood, then you're in business.  Heck, some have used just plain glue for backing. 

[George Tsoukalas]

Burlap, linen and silk which are natural materials work well too. Jute and hemp twine glued in the manner you mentioned would also work though I've never tried them. There's info on my site. Jawge

[alfadee]

i dont think dacron is very good.
if you stretch it dacron dont wents back to the original form. it takes "set".
you can try to stretch the dacron before glueing it on your bow, perhaps that will do.

david

[islandpiper]

Thanks for your insight guys.   I suppose that finding a glue that will "bond" to the dacron is the biggest issue.  As for stretch, maybe used, orn out bow strings would be already stretched out.  Well, it was just an idea.

I just got some really beautiful, hard, heavy tropical wood of some sort.  Brazilian Cherry perhaps.   I thought that would be really nice in a laminated bow or in a thin slice as a pretty back, glued on.   Well, i made a test slice, bent it and broke it.  It is pretty, but oh, so, brittle. 

Your combined expertise, experience and opinions make this a great place to learn!!

Piper

[Hillbilly]

Another big  problem with dacron would be that it comes saturated with wax-I doubt that you could get a good glue bond.

[ballista]

well, i dont doubt you could, as long as it dosent stretch and dosent react to glue, im sure theres a lot of things you could use. the only problem i see is price, dacron isnt too cheap, but thats just my toss.

[islandpiper]

Well, just for fun i glued a strip of Tyvek to some oak with good, fresh, hot hide glue.   Glue under, glue over, rubbed in, then more glue over.  Dried it well, and they stuff just peeled off.   So........hide wun't do it.  Learn something everyday. 

piper

[El Destructo]

Tyvek is a slick ....semi Waterproof manmade material used in many applications from Medical to Mailing Envelopes....it made of of flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers....they make it at the Philtex/Ryton Plant here in Borger....the Sister Plant to the Conocophillips Refinery that I work at.....you are going to play hell getting anything to stick to this....it is made of the same proprietary material as a Pop Bottle....ever try to get a good adhesive Bond to a Pop Bottle??

[islandpiper]

I just watched a program on the Discovery Channel about how currency is made.   The paper is 75% cotton and 25% linen.  Really, this should make pretty good backing material.   The one dollar bills wouldn't raise the value of a bow too much.  Hundred's  would make a long bow a bit pricey...good reason to make short bows, I guess.   

Seems like the green side out would be a sort of camo-pattern, too. 

piper

[PaulN/KS]

There was a fellow at Mojam a couple years ago who made a small kids bow out or cedar and backed it with some dollor bills. It looked pretty cool ... he put it in the auction I think.