Rawhide Application

[0209]

Been a while since I've been on, but I've a question.  How do you apply a rawhide backing to a future bow and do so in order to effectively prevent splintering.  I assume glue of some kind is in order, but what kind specifically.  I was thinking of titebond III, seeing as it's super easy to apply and relatively easy to come by.
Anyways, its for a gift hopefully, assuming I can get it done in time.  Thanks for all the replies (hopefully) and have a good one. 
Happy holidays.

[seabass]

i have seen titebond 3 used with good results.tied it down with string.

[0209]

Can i sand it smooth once the rawhide has dried onto the back? 

[blackhawk]

rawhide is super easy to apply...i use titebondIII...clean your glue surfaces down with acetone,denatured alcohol etc..and put your sized rawhide strips in warm water till there wet n stretchy...and while theyre soaking size the back of the bow with your glue...then take your rawhide out of the water and squegee the excess water off and slightly stretch it,then lay it it down on the bows back....i wrap it with two ace bandages starting at the handle with both and each get worked n wrapped out toward the tips...and each revolution i push/stretch the rawhide out towards the tips...and then let it sit in 70 degrees or warmer for one nights sleep,then un wrap..and yes you can sand it smooth and will have to clean up the edges n excess glue etc..

[0209]

And that keeps all the air pockets from forming underneath the rawhide?

[JW_Halverson]

Nope, it sure 2won't.  That's your job.  As you work out from the middle, you are pushing the air pockets ahead and to the edge with your thumbs. 

I like to take off the Ace bandages after about an hour.  The glue has set plenty good by then, and you can rub the rawhide down with a wet sponge or rag to "plump" it back up.  It will then lose that fabric pattern that the tight bandages pressed into the rawhide.  Then it will dry nice and smooth.  I also let mine dry for several days before I trim with a razor sharp blade or sand off with a sanding block. 

Good luck!

[Pat B]

I do like JW and Blackhawk but I use stripe of old bed sheets to wrap the rawhide/bow. After an hour or so the glue has set up some and now is when I use a sharp razor to remove most of the excess rawhide. I also check for air bubbles and excess glue pockets and work then towards the edge and out from under the rawhide. Once the rawhide is well dried(at least the next day) I trim the edges better and sand them smooth with a sanding block.
  Both the glue and rawhide were holding moisture and some of that goes into the wood. It might take a week or more sometimes for the wood to get back to the M/C it was before backing the bow.  What I have started doing is to put a thin layer of TBIII on the back of the bow and let it cure out completely. An hour ot two will do it. This then acts as a vapor barrier so less moisture enters the wood when you add the rawhide.
  After the rawhide has dried and before you add the finish over it rub your dry hand along the back lightly. If there are still air pockets or places where the rawhide didn't glue down you will be able to hear the difference in the sound of your hand rubbing. What I do if I find something like this is take a very sharp razor and make a small slit in the rawhide, lengthwise and force a little TBIII in the slit and/or the void, smooth it out with a finger and let it dry well. You'll be good to go.

[Pappy]

I do it about like Pat and JW,tb3 wrap for an hour or so,I do use a fine rasp to trim instead of a razor and let set for a few days in the hot box or over the heater/ac duct before bracing the bow. The main thing is keeping it straight on the limb as you wrap,it is easy for it to pull off to one side if you don't watch and be sure to get the air bubbles and glue pockets out as you go. About like putting on skins just a little tougher to get it to lay down because of it's thickness.
   Pappy

[steve b.]

I'll be doing my first rawhide backing with hideglue in the near future.  After reading these comments I was wondering if there would be anything wrong with putting the rawhide on a bow or stave that his slightly wider than intended and then, after it dries completely, finalize the width by rasping the rawhide with the wood?  Instead of trimming the rawhide on a fnished bow?

[Pat B]

Steve, there is no problem doing it the way you suggested. I just find it easier if I trim the excess before hand.
  Hide glue works very well for rawhide. You may not even need to wrap after glue down if the rawhide is thin enough to drape over the bow. The hide glue has "suck" meaning as it dries it is drawn to the surface it is glued to.

[killir duck]

hide glue is may favorite but tb3 is good 2

[bluegill68]

This how I do it, hope this helps.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,32398.msg428391.html#msg428391

[randman]

I have only done a couple and used the Dean Torges method (do a google search) that involves the use of hide glue, a veneer hammer and a home iron for heat (no wraps). I was surprised how easy and flawless it went and it worked fantastic. Will be using that method from now on.

[Carson (CMB)]

I have used hide glue and the ace bandage wrap and can't complain.  The first rawhide backing I did, I only had one ace bandage, so wrapped one limb, and a cotton t-shirt scrap wrapped the other.  The ace bandage worked much better.  Went out and bought another ace bandage after that. 

[steve b.]

Thanks Pat, et al, yea I'm a hide glue kinda guy and I read the Torges method which appeals to me, although I won't be making the scraper tool thing that he uses.  But my understanding is that rawhide really "likes" hide glue.