Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Prarie Bowyer on July 15, 2014, 11:40:31 am
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When backing a bow intende to also get snake skins what kind of slik is best? I read the TBB 1 secion on backing and found it interesting but it dosent say much about what kind.
I've seens places selling silk strips but I figured Id just buy a yard. Or is there a wide ribbin? Is it satin? Shoould it be bias cut? TBB talks about applying it slightly stretched. Could one use silk threads and lay them out like sinew?
What thickness should be used?
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You want to find silk made from the herpatosa moth that only lives high up in Mongolian tulip trees only found in Mongolia 8)
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I use raw silk from our local materials place. Its pretty heavy duty and good quality.
But I have seen bows that were backed with old ties and all sorts.
Silk doesn't stretch or store energy as far as I have experience and I have used silk quite a bit. Just protective and best, at worst just looks nice :laugh:
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You will want to use as thin of silk as you can find...or rawhide.
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That was funny Chris ! Bob
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You want to find silk made from the herpatosa moth that only lives high up in Mongolian tulip trees only found in Mongolia 8)
Shhhhhhhhh.....that is ancient Bowyer secret Grasshopper >:D
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I have been making some silk bow strings lately and it does make a nice string but has horrible initial stretch. Nothing like sinew. Sinew comes back after you stretch it. Silk slowly creeps back.
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I've used silk from my daughters' old dresses. I just wrapped the seams with thread set in glue. Jawge
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I used some raw silk fibers with hide glue. Very messy experience. The tensile strength of the combination of silk and hide glue was incredible though.
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...and of course it was the herpatosa variety ;)
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TBB makes similar statements about flax. but i'm not clear what state it was in. I think similar to sinew application of the raw fibers. I'm really interested in this but sounds like it can easily over power a bow.