Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: yellow feather on March 30, 2008, 07:19:11 pm
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Is the linen you get at a fabric shop, what you would use for backing a bow and how many layers.David
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David, Yes! I wouldn't use a heavy linen but a regular garment linen is plenty strong enough...especially after you glue it down. You only need one layer in most cases. The purpose is to protect the back of a violated bow and/or to keep splinters from lifting. It will not add any performance to the bow.
TBIII is a good glue to use. Pat
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David one layer is plenty but get the good stuff 100% linen, they also sell lesser quality linen at the fabric shop.
Ask the ladies for help I think they get a kick out of guys shopping for fabric ;)
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Thanks Pat ,Dana, that's what I needed to know.David
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i bought a HUGE peice of linen from goodwill. linen is a suberb backing i really like it
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What people don't realize is that most of the canvas that you buy is actually made of cotton
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Is the linen you get at a fabric shop, what you would use for backing a bow and how many layers.David
David not necessarily...make sure that this is true Linen...lots of the Linen that they sell at Wal-Mart....Hobby Lobby...etc....is really Cotton or Hemp....not Flax.....Flax is 2-3 times stronger than Cotton....although Hemp would work....I would make sure to ask them if it is a True Flax Linen....JMO........Yankee
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For $20 I bought 9 yards of natural silk at the fabrick store.
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Makin' nighties, Eddie? ;D Pat
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Makin' nighties, Eddie? ;D Pat
Now thats a Scary thought Pat....more than I needed at this close to Bedtime!!!!!!!!!!!
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For $20 I bought 9 yards of natural silk at the fabrick store.
Its hard to beat silk for strength. Justin
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Just make sure that the piece is cut the right way....I once bought some from Hobby Lobby....and it was a remnant....it was cut widthwise...instead of Lengthwise....and you could pull it apart with your fingers!!!!...I had no idea that there would be a difference in the Strength either way....or maybe it was some junky Silk....who knows....just pull on it to see if it tears!!!!
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If a guy were to back a bow with silk or linen and then put skins on the back , will that add too much weight to make it worthwhile? If not I think it might behoove me to do that on some of the board bows or even some thin ringed beau d'arc I'm gonna work with. I saw some seriously cool snake backed bows this weekend at Ojam and I am sold on that look. Danny
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Danny, It shouldn't be a problem. It will add a little extra weight (physical) but if you reduce the width of your tips you could counter act that weight. Pat
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Danny ...the Bow I just took my Turkeys with this Weekend....was a Sycamore Board Bow...backed with Rawhide...and then Snake Skinned....it is fast as lightning....and looks way cool too!!
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Thanks guys. I think as easy as silk or linen backing looks it would be a no brainer to do it on anything that was questionable plus it gives a nice little canvas for something creative on the back. Danny
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Just scrape the Back good with a Hacksaw Blade or Rasp...I prefer a Blade....size it with thinned Glue....I use TB 3.....soak the Fabric in Glue....lay it on....rub it down good to get out the Air Bubbles....once it's in place good...coat it good with glue again....let it dry...cant get any easier!! Then look at the Canvas for your Artistic Talents to be displayed!!
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Yank. Can a guy be less picky about grain runout on board bows with a linen or silk backing? Danny
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Danny you can get away with lots of runouts with a good linen backing ;)
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Nice to know. Danny
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Yes you can...but that doesn't mean go out and grab any Board you see...still look through them all and get the Best they have to offer....Any Backing can still fail...if the Wood underneath is poor enough
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I found out after posting when I went to look for 100% linen that the fabric stores here only handle a blend of 60% linen and 40% something else so it's harder to find than I first thought. Is there any place to order it cheap enough? David
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I bought mine at Jo Ann fabrics if that helps ???
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Hobby Lobby has it too.... 60/40 ........Linen / cotton would be OK...but pure Linen is the way to go.....
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Looking through my wife's give away clothes, I have run into pants made of 45% linen 55 % silk that has worked very nicely. As an aside, I was floor tillering a super thin ringed osage stave last weekend with some run outs, getting it ready for fabric backing. Drew up a splinter with very light very long string bending. In this situation, one can super glue a thin hickory patch on and hope for the best - which is what I have done. We'll see.
Dave
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Thanks guys
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Call me screwy but I was always told NOT to scrape with a hacksaw blade that you want a smooth surface. I have always stuck to using grooves only when using gap filling epoxy...is it different with cloth material. I ask because I am going to glue a silk backing on a red oak bow following much the same procedure as Manny is doing....only making the bow more like Gordons hazel bow in shape.
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If you are using TB glue you want a smooth back(gluing surfaces), not grooves. With cloth backings I don't think it matters but why do the extra work if not necessary. ;) Pat
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guys e bay usally has some iv bought 8 yards of it for 6 bucks 100% pure silk most of the fabric stores dont even carry silk or linen backin iv seen 2 wide 100% silk ribbion go for 3 bucks on e bay so check that out ???
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After you suggested ebay BC I went and just bought 10yds of 2" wide pure silk ribbon for 14.00 on ebay. I felt like that was a good buy. There are 3 left at that price right now. I fgure 10yds ought to get me 5-6 bows backed with it maybe more than thatif I cut it right. Thanks for the tip. I had thought about linen buit silk should do the trick s well and maybe even be a little stronger. Danny
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I just hope that the weave is the right direction....because the Silk I bought once from eBay...wasn't....and you could litterally pull it apart with your Fingers....good luck!
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Just scrape the Back good with a Hacksaw Blade or Rasp...I prefer a Blade....size it with thinned Glue....I use TB 3.....soak the Fabric in Glue....lay it on....rub it down good to get out the Air Bubbles....once it's in place good...coat it good with glue again....let it dry...cant get any easier!! Then look at the Canvas for your Artistic Talents to be displayed!!
I don't scrape the back, I leave it smooth. I also don't soak the fabric. I size the back of the bow with a smooth layer of TB. Then I lay the fabric down keeping it smooth. After that I add one layer of TB to the top of the fabric. The glue usually soaks up through the fabric when it is applied to the sized bow.
I wouldn't buy the ribbon from ebay for that price. I can go to the fabric store an see what I am getting. Even if you pay the $20 per yard price it is still cheaper than the ribbon. Silk fabric is usually 45" wide and cut 36" (1 yard) long. Cut at 2" wide that will give you 18 strips 2" wide by 45" long. Enough to do 9 bows of any length up to 90". Justin
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Thanks for that reassurance Justin...It did not sound right to scrape the back with a hacksaw blade for any kind of material backing. I knew to do that with gap filing epoxies such as Urac or Smooth on.
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Stiknstring, I'm not going so far as to say the other way is wrong, just different from what I do. I know there are 2 schools of thought on grooving (toothing) before gluing. I Subscribe to the one that you weaken the joint by furrowing because it leaves the raised portion of weakened wood filled with the stronger glue. All the joint has to do is fracture off the splinters (which are all the furrows are) of wood left by furrowing then you have tiny furrows of glue left that if they were together would only be half the width of the bow. Consequently I never tooth before gluing. Justin
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Just stopped at Jo-Ann Fabrics and they only had one choice of 100% linen in light tan MADE IN THE USA for $9 yd on sale. It was 54" wide, so for about $20 you get get enough to back several bows.
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Thats the stuff and $9 is a good price
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Haven't used linen to back a bow yet and have a good candidate to experiment on. I'm getting ready to head over there and buy a couple yards.
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What methods do you guys use while smoothing the edges, I have a cammo material backin on a bow that is similar to canvas. I used tb to glue it down, but i havent added a layer on top as mentioned. I am having trouble making a clean transfer from wood to backing, Is this what is to be expected from cloth backings, or am i missing another aspect?
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apply a layer of glue on the Top...let it dry ...sand it down ...if it is still a rough edge....another layer of glue....and that should do it.....make sure that you thin the Titebond Glue though....dont put it on thick...