Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Blacktail on January 05, 2013, 01:20:05 am

Title: sinew backing green wood
Post by: Blacktail on January 05, 2013, 01:20:05 am
SO,has any one sinew backed green wood...for some reason in my head it sound like a BAD idea BUT on the the other hand it sounds good..i was wondering if any one has tried it..i got some juniper and its still green and would like to find out if it would work or not...just let me know if i am thinking stupid..john
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: PatM on January 05, 2013, 01:25:46 am
West Coast Natives apparently routinely sinew backed at least semi green wood. By the time you've worked a stave down with primitive tools it has likely dropped significant moisture.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: PaleoNinja on January 05, 2013, 02:11:51 am
Sinew Backing Semi-Green wood works well because the wood is still more flexible so it picks up A-LOT of reflex.  Floor tiller it green, sinew back it. Cant wait to see it.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: H Rhodes on January 05, 2013, 04:16:31 am
I am curious about your results too!  I have induced reflex to green staves by strapping them to a form to dry and had good results.  This sinewing idea sounds interesting.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 05, 2013, 08:57:55 am
Never did it and never thought about it until now. Two things would concern me. One is excess moisture, mildew and mold. The other is the stave shrinking as it dries and having the backing lift.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: Marc St Louis on January 05, 2013, 09:04:39 am
You would have to make sure that the wood does not warp after sinewing, be a bugger to do all that work on a piece of wood that was going to warp anyway.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 05, 2013, 09:05:43 am
You would have to make sure that the wood does not warp after sinewing, be a bugger to do all that work on a piece of wood that was going to warp anyway.

Okay so three things concern me now. Heat guns and hide glue arent best friends.
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: Marc St Louis on January 05, 2013, 09:07:18 am
Once the hide glue is dry it can take quite a bit of heat
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: BowEd on January 05, 2013, 09:12:45 am
Enough to realign wood Marc?
Title: Re: sinew backing green wood
Post by: Bryce on January 05, 2013, 02:10:49 pm
PatM is right.
I would rough the bow out let sit a week or 2 then back with sinew. The chinook clatsop people sinew backed wet yew quite often. Even farther south the modoc and hupa did the same.
Green wood pulls a lot of reflex :)