Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: BOWMAN53 on October 09, 2012, 08:05:05 pm
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Can I add a backing to a bow after tiller?
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Sure, why not? Depending on the material, you may have to touch-up or re-tiller the bow. I have one right now that I am going to attempt to salvage by adding a rawhide backing.
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Ok cool. I was gonna add some fiberglass since that's all I have right now.
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Nnnooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
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I have no experience with that, but I would imagine you will have to retiller after applying that, if you are talking about fiberglass cloth. If you are talking about that mesh drywall tape stuff, I would seriously reconsider. There are many other cheap materials available that would make a far better backing, such as silk (from old clothes at thrift store) or even just paper. That drywall tape would be the LAST thing I would use.
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I use grocery bag paper. It is very easy to work with. Makes a nice smooth surface to paint afterwards.
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Lol ok then what is cheap and will add the most weight?
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Are you adding the backing for protection or to increase draw weight?
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I want to increase the Draw weight
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If the back is flat, I would add a thin wood backing strip of hickory, hard maple, ash, depending on how much you want to increase the weight. If you are working with a crown or rounded back, your options are somewhat limited. You might try rawhide, but I think there is a debate about how much, if any, draw weight it adds, though. Other backing choices are linen, silk, paper, etc., but not sure they add much draw weight.
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Its a board bow so the back is flat but I don't have a plainer to get hickory thin enough to use as backing
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Depending on how long your bow is and wide, you could either shorten it a few inches, or recurve it. That alone would bring up the weight. How much are you trying to gain? By the way, glass only applied to the back will destroy your bow.
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I already chopped off 1 1/4" Off the tips. It was originally 72" long and 25 pounds at 29". 10 pounds would be great to gain if it possible.
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Sounds very possible. That will depend on the width. You may be cutting it down to about 66 inches long or re-curving it allot. You probably can get about 35 lbs, but this is saying without knowing the width.
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why not cut it down much shorter, re-curve the tips, the add sinew?
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its 1 1/2 at the fades by the handle and 1/2" at the tips.
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You have the meat needed. Chop those tips off if you want a D style bow to make the bow 68 inches, retiller slightly to make the tips not so stiff and then weigh it. If you are not happy then, recurve it if you have the means. If not I wouldnt go any shorter than 66 inches long for sure. If that doesnt do it, add sinew as fishfinder said, and recurve it and you will get allot of weight from it then!
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No f!b€rgl@$$ please!
What wood is the bow?
Is it already finished (if yes, what did you use for finish)?
You could also just start a new bow...raising the drawweight ten pounds is a lot and often requires almost as much work as starting a new bow.
Otherwise, you could glue down a lamination on the back. A strip of hickory/ash/white oak/elm would work good.
You could also glue down a fiber backing. Cloth or raw hide will not add a lot of drawweight, but a thick fiber backing such as raw flax or hemp fiber has been recommened by Tim Baker.
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The time you're going to spend getting weight up to 10 pounds is time you could be making a bow intentionally 10 pounds heavier. Anything you do (other than sinew) is going to add stress to the bow and 10 pounds in weight gain may not all translate to kinetic energy (eg: shortening and flipping tips will cause additional set, etc). BTW, adding 10 pounds to a 25# bow is HUGE change... almost 50% of current weight!!
I did what you're trying on my second bow and wound up with an overstressed, fretted, and splintered bow that was otherwise fine before i decided not to leave well enough alone. Not saying it has to happen that way, but it easily can.
I guess it depends on your purpose. You want a 10# heavier bow..... make one!!! you want to experiment on a stave you don't mind potentially messing up... then experiment to learn how not to mess up using these other methods (sinew, backing, etc).
My 3 cents worth ;)
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I think I might just back it with a paper bag just for a lil protection. Ill build my next bow a lot better.
Right now I am 2 out 4 in my early bow making career
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ya know a young'in or a woman might really like a nice 25# bow, give her away and build a heavyer bow, that's what i'd do, Bub
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AS already suggested forget trying to raise the weight by 10#....for lots of reasons :)
Start a new one and give it away if you don't like it.
Best bet is buy the Traditional Bowyers Bible volume 1 and reading the chapter about tillering over and over again!
Good luck.
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Well I can even get why wife to come out a shoot a bow one time so I can't give it to her. I don't trust my lil bro with one just yet and my oldest daughter is a lefty and I cut a shelf for a righty. So I think ill just keep it as a reminder.
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this is coming from someone who enjoys shooting bows around 140lbs..... shooting a bow that weight can still be fun, just different