60" Osage Sinew backed Recurve in progress

[upstatenybowyer]

That is looking good Bill, be nice if it holds most of that.  I always hate trying to get one like that to first brace and as I am sure you already know, go very easy and slow on tillering because it will seem much much heavier than it really is and very easy to miss weight.  Looking forward to seeing it all finished up.
 Pappy

+1 on both of these points. I wish I had known the second one on my first sinewed bow. I lost crazy weight on that one. Looking sweet!

[BowEd]

DB....Looking good.After curing pulling the tips around to a 6" brace showing 70 pounds to do that won't hurt it a bit.You'll come into your draw weight easy yet at your draw length.

[Danzn Bar]

DB....Looking good.After curing pulling the tips around to a 6" brace showing 70 pounds to do that won't hurt it a bit.You'll come into your draw weight easy yet at your draw length.

Yep I sure hope so........
DBar

[BowEd]

How much sinew you considering putting on there?

[Danzn Bar]

Well...............I've been thinking about that for a while.......And I have asked the same question over the years with no real good answers....  I've never measured it by weight but this time I will and report it ........  if I remember.    I will do three courses, but the thickness of the course is very suspect. I'll try and measure it by weight.... I usually put one course over the entire back including the handle and working limbs but not the recurves. Only the "working limbs and the handle get sinew.  Then the next layer would be half the width down the middle. The last layer is  laid down the middle of the bow about 3/8" to 1/2" wide to make a spine down the middle of the bow including the handle and working limbs. Which makes one long matrix ... let's hope it turns out....

I hope to get to sinewing this weekend.

Everyone....please understand that all of this is only my experience on building bows and I really appreciate any comments pros and mostly cons on my process........... I'm still learning.  And I do say process because as said before " there's more than one way to skin a cat"
Till next time,
DBar

[osage outlaw]

Well I'm liking the way you are skinning this cat Bill. 

[Danzn Bar]

That is looking good Bill, be nice if it holds most of that.  I always hate trying to get one like that to first brace and as I am sure you already know, go very easy and slow on tillering because it will seem much much heavier than it really is and very easy to miss weight.  Looking forward to seeing it all finished up.
 Pappy

+1 on both of these points. I wish I had known the second one on my first sinewed bow. I lost crazy weight on that one. Looking sweet!

Upstate....
What pappy says is right ....Think about it...when pulling a finished recurve back it seams to be tough to pull back at first then ease up to full draw.   When tillering a fresh bow you need to keep the same think in mind.....It happen to me on my first...
DBar

[Redhand]

That is looking good Bill, be nice if it holds most of that.  I always hate trying to get one like that to first brace and as I am sure you already know, go very easy and slow on tillering because it will seem much much heavier than it really is and very easy to miss weight.  Looking forward to seeing it all finished up.
 Pappy

+1 on both of these points. I wish I had known the second one on my first sinewed bow. I lost crazy weight on that one. Looking sweet!

Yes go slow when tillering these highly reflexed bows. Like pappy said you can easily miss your target weight. Also as you are tillering exercise the limbs more often than usually because a hinge can creep up on you very quickly with these highly reflexed bows.

[BowEd]

Yep DB you'll do real fine sinewing the bow that way.Speaking from experience here.

[bradsmith2010]

about 1000 1200 grains is a good happy medium,, you can weigh the tendons before process and see about how much you think you need,,
I think much less than that, and it might not hold the reflex you want,, I started weighing mine a while back,, just so I would have a starting point,,

[Danzn Bar]

Thanks Brad, 
I'll weight some out and start with that................
DBar

[upstatenybowyer]

That is looking good Bill, be nice if it holds most of that.  I always hate trying to get one like that to first brace and as I am sure you already know, go very easy and slow on tillering because it will seem much much heavier than it really is and very easy to miss weight.  Looking forward to seeing it all finished up.
 Pappy

+1 on both of these points. I wish I had known the second one on my first sinewed bow. I lost crazy weight on that one. Looking sweet!

Upstate....
What pappy says is right ....Think about it...when pulling a finished recurve back it seams to be tough to pull back at first then ease up to full draw.   When tillering a fresh bow you need to keep the same think in mind.....It happen to me on my first...
DBar

Dbar and Pappy, So glad to have gathered this information from you both when I did. I've only paid the price for not knowing it once, and at least that one still shoots for the Mrs. I've got 2 sinewed bows curing at the moment (Yew and ERC) and what a shame it would be to ruin those two.

P.S. I like my cat rare.  (only kidding)

[Danzn Bar]

Took me about 3 hours to sinew this bow this morning.   I started out with 1214 gr of sinew.  I only applied about 900 gr.  1000 just seamed to much and I do not want it to be counter active.......the sinew was between 7 and 16" lg.  Here is my set up with a crock pot and meat thermometer.  I have to go back and forth between high and low setting to keep the water around 130 deg F.  The hide glue I figure is about 110-120 deg F.

[Danzn Bar]

35% humidity and 63 deg F in the shop this morning..........

[Danzn Bar]

Finished and now for the wait.............