Sinew - just checking

[stuckinthemud]

I have a billet bow which I built to see what kind of abuse scotch broom could take.  I chose a couple of really knotty billets, didn’t tiller carefully, tried a new (to me) type of handle splice and new type of glue heat treated and heat shaped them. I even cut through knots on the limb edges and over bent it.  It’s taken a half inch set in one limb, none in the other.  The thing just won’t break.  I know it’s the wrong thing to do but I’m going to sinew it, may as well, I’ve done everything else to it. To sinew I was intending to rasp off the tops of the knobbly bits and fill the knots with sawdust and cyano.  The back won’t be smooth and level but it won’t be bumpy any more.  Just checking this is the right approach?

[bownarra]

Yep sounds good but instead of using CA use thin hide glue. Otherwise the sinew backing won't stick very well to the cured CA spots.

[stuckinthemud]

Thanks Mike, will do.

[Pat B]

You can wad up sinew to fill any voids in knots and the hide glue will find it way into them and saturate the sinew. I prefer to use hide glue for sinew backings and for snake skins, fish skins and rawhide that might go over the sinew.