bow repair... back surgery

[sleek]

So my only bow I made for me has lifted splinters on its back. It did not hinge, just two spots with large sections trying to lift. Im thinking I could cut the back off and laminate a new one on. My problem is I am no good at getting a flat surface on the back to lam a new piece onto. Any tips how without powertools? Also the tips are reflexed.

[Eric Krewson]

Course sand paper, a sanding block and several hours will work, I have done it before, quite a job.

I have tried a toothing plane but I never could get it to cut very well, used a Sureform and a block plane, better than sandpaper but still took a while.

You don't have to have the back perfectly flat if you use a gap filling glue line Unibond.

[PatM]

Stick some floor sander sheets of sandpaper to a long flat board and you have a manual belt sander. The sheets come in large squares with a sticky back. Check the tool rental section in HD.
 It takes no time at all to flatten a back or backing strip this way.
 Surprised more people don't do this.

[Pat B]

What glue did you use? Some glues like TB glues will release with heat and you could remove and replace the backing.

[sleek]

Pat this is a self bow I want to repair. Its not a laminate... yet.

[Marc St Louis]

I've done it with a rasp and scraper.

Is the splinter not repairable?  I've repaired more than one splinter on Elm

[sleek]

Marc, I dont know if its fixable.  Id post pics but my photobucket is screwed.  May I text you some pics?

[bradsmith2010]

one option that does not require a flat back,, wrap with sinew,, and rawhide the whole back,,
or you could sinew the whole back,,

[sleek]

Sinew is unfortunately not going to work I dont think. This bow has been treated several times a year with rendered deer tallow for a waterproof finish. Then hit with a heatgun to liquify it and send it into the pours of the wood. I dont think this can be degreased to allow a good bond. Unless of course I scrapped the back down to a new ring....  probably not though due to many many knots on the back.

[PatM]

In that case I wouldn't bother trying to do any sort of repair. The wood is probably contaminated with grease to the point that you'd have to soak it in solvent to get it all out.
 I'll take a pic of my "belt sander" so you can flatten anything else in the future in a hurry.

[simson]

What's about backing the whole thing with a trapped boo strip.
You could do the flatting with big rasp or shinto files by hand.
Example (with osage): http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,47733.0.html

[Marc St Louis]

If the bow has been treated with tallow to that extent then I would have to agree with Pat

[bradsmith2010]

Pat and Marc,, do you think degreasing with lye and boiling water might have a chance,,,???

[sleek]

Well I reckon its a wall hanger then. Thanks though guys for the ideas.

[PatM]

Better to salvage it as a wall hanger that looks like the original than a frankenbow.