Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: marcfrdly on July 21, 2014, 11:21:58 pm

Title: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: marcfrdly on July 21, 2014, 11:21:58 pm
This may be a dumb idea, but I wanted to get some other opinions before I try it. I lifted a six inch splinter on the  bamboo backed yew  I was working on. My question is, what if I sanded down the bamboo back flat, then glued another bamboo backing on this one. In my mind it would be like a lamination. Should I try it?
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: Pat B on July 21, 2014, 11:35:05 pm
What glue did you use? If Titebond you can separate the boo from the belly with heat.  To answer your question, yes you can grind the boo flat and add another boo backing.
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: marcfrdly on July 21, 2014, 11:56:02 pm
I used unibond.  Pat B thanks,  I always appreciate your posts. You regular guys don't know how much knowledge you all share.
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: bubby on July 22, 2014, 01:59:42 am
I've had that happen with boo, I glued it down with ca and put a little wrap on it that was at least 4 years ago and still shooting
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: Gordon on July 22, 2014, 02:03:15 am
If you're going to go to the trouble of sanding the back flat you might as well go all the way to the belly wood.
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: DarkSoul on July 22, 2014, 05:44:10 am
It is  perfectly possible to sand the splintered bamboo flat (or grind it away completely) and add a new lam of bamboo. Remember that only the outer bamboo layer is the backing, so the middle lam of bamboo (if you left any) is just a core. It would thicken the bow probably, boosting the draw weight.
It is also important to find out why the bamboo lifted a splinter in the first place. Did you damage the nodes? Or perhaps the corners were still sharp and not properly rounded? Sometimes it seems to be down to just bad luck.
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: marcfrdly on July 22, 2014, 02:58:10 pm
Looking back I started thinning the sides, which recreated the sharp edges on the backing. Learned a lot from this one.
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on July 22, 2014, 03:03:07 pm
If you're going to go to the trouble of sanding the back flat you might as well go all the way to the belly wood.

That's my vote as well. 
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: Del the cat on July 22, 2014, 05:00:35 pm
I did a boo backed Yew... the glue line wasn't up the scratch so I planed, rasped, filed and scraped it all off and re-did the backing. Yeah, it was real fun ;)
Seriously it didn't take that long to re-do it.
Del
Title: Re: Bamboo backed longbow question
Post by: RBLusthaus on July 22, 2014, 07:16:13 pm
If you're going to go to the trouble of sanding the back flat you might as well go all the way to the belly wood.

That's my vote as well.

X3 especially if you have access to a band saw and belt sander.