Author Topic: sinew on maple? (Read 8051 times)

Jesse · « **on:** February 11, 2008, 08:53:57 pm »

Well I have been wanting to try a sinew backed bow for a while and I got this great hard maple stave from Dana for the Christmas trade. Check it out in the Christmas trade post in announcements.
My question is. Is sinew backing hard maple a good idea? It doesnt need it it is a really nice stave. Would I gain any performance? What would be a good design for hard maple? I was thinking of a pyramid style.
Jesse

sonny · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2008, 09:12:55 pm »

save your sinew for a stave that needs it. there's a lot of work involved in shredding and applying sinew.

Hillbilly · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2008, 09:15:35 pm »

A good hard maple stave shouldn't really need any backing, and it might actually slow it down and make it more suseptible to moisture variation. The pyramid design should work great, or a flatbow about 1 3/4" wide fades to midlimb.

DanaM · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2008, 09:24:23 pm »

What weight and draw length Jesse? that can also determine the design to a degree.

Jesse · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2008, 10:11:19 pm »

I think I will take your advice and save the sinew. Ive just been dying to try it

I am shooting for 55# @ 27-28"
Jesse

Gordon · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2008, 10:57:11 pm »

Quote

Ive just been dying to try it

I bet that will change after a couple of hours pounding and shredding

Jesse · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2008, 11:01:50 pm »

Ive got it all pounded shredded and ready. I thought that part was fun

Jesse

michbowguy · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2008, 02:08:05 am »

maple has a nice hard backing when seasoned right.
thing i found out with maple is...a little wider is best as it is very prone to chrysalying on the belly if your tiller isnt spot on.

jamie

PK · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2008, 07:46:12 am »

TRACY · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2008, 08:48:36 am »

I agree, it is fun to pound and shred Jesse. Some people like crosswords etc, but I would rather prep sinew for later use. To each's own. I would save the sinew for a stave that would benefit. Good luck

Marc St Louis · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2008, 09:32:00 am »

I always sinew back the best stave I can use but that's because when I use sinew it's to make a high performance bow. That means short with lots of reflex.

If that's what you want to do then go for it. With sinew I wouldn't make the bow no more than 62" long though and keep the width to around 1 1/2". Without I would go for 67" long and 1 3/4" wide

Rich Saffold · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2008, 01:50:49 pm »

Jesse, I have been told that ipe and sinew is a great match. I haven't done it yet since I have the same perspective as Gordon in this regard..Or I will let the kid do it..

Rich-

JackCrafty · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2008, 02:08:05 pm »

For me, a bow without sinew is like a salad without dressing.

And ipe and sinew is a great combination....but ipe is to sinew what milk is to rice crispies (the sinew will snap-crackle-pop a lot in the beginning).

Me hungry.

venisonburger · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:54:30 pm »

I'm with Marc, sinew it, but like he said don't go too long. Maple is an excellent wood, I don't see how a few layers of sinew can do anything except improve the speed of the bow.
VB

Jesse · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2008, 12:27:17 am »

Now I am torn what to do. I have a little time to think about it. The stave is not quite ready and I have a Boo backed ipe to get done first. I am leaning towards using sinew. I am not worried about the extra work but the comment about maple chrysalying easy if the tiller is not spot on has me wondering if sinew would make that problem worse. Thanks for all your advice.

Primitive Archer