Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on November 17, 2015, 01:31:06 pm
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A fellow showed up at the range last night with a couple of sinewed bows. One was Yew and the other was Black Locust. They were quite old and the sinew was flaking. You could see the cracks in the glue. He strung one and pulled it a bit but not much. It got me wondering about the life span of a sinewed bow. I suppose the answer is "it depends" but if kept reasonably dry how long would a sinewed bow be shootable? If it's starting to flake is it still restoreable?
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That's a bad sinew job. Sinew lasts for hundreds of years.
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I'm not contradicting you but what part of my description makes you say it's a bad job. I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one.
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Sounds like he had too much glue. If the sinew is peeling it didn't adhere properly and the cracks could be too much glue and it cracks as it dried.
Like Pat said, hundreds of years under good conditions. I believe some of the Asiatic horn bows are that old and still shoot.
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Yup, my guess is the glue wasn't of high quality and/or too much was used. The sinew is just fine Id bet.
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Thanks
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I have read where bows 100 plus were shot for distance,,
also the sinew job may have been ok at one time,, sinew would be sensitive to being stored in bad conditions,,, who knows really hard to tell,,lots of variables,, :)
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What makes you think it is sinew or glue peeling and not a finish? I've seen TruOil peel after 4 or 5 years along with Poly in a very dry environment.
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The short draw seems to indicate hesitation.
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I wasn't just thin flakes, they were fairly thick in spots.
He wasn't hiding anything, he said," I don't want to pull it to far because I'm afraid it will break."