I plan on making a board bow backed with rawhide backing... what type of rawhide should I use, thickness, and lastly glue?
Thanks
terry
from what i know the cheapest source of rawhide is the big dog chews, but they have to be thinned a bit before use. i think pine hollow long bows and three rivers carries rawhide and are good people to deal with. as far as glue youd probably be safe with titebond 3. hide glue is the alternative but its not waterproof.
The best is deer rawhide as it is very thin, light and strong. The dog chews are cattle hide, which is thick. As mentioned above if you use a chew it has to be sanded quite a bit to thin.
If you have privy to road killed deer and a place to soak in a wood ash/water combination to dehair and strech hang the skin you will have rawhide in a very little while.
Have any goats around for a hide, that would be good, too.
I agree with the titebond 3 glue. It holds it very well.
3 Rivers' rawhide is ready to go, I use Titebond 2. For a board bow I'd use silk, linen or burlap with T2. Jawge
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