Back in 2006 I was invited to go elk hunting with my friend Kenneth Gorman in the San Juan Mts of S.W. Colorado. For this hunt I wanted to build a special bow. Eklie was born as a 60" osage with flipped tips, 3 layers of elk sinew and a timber rattler backing. Elkie came through the hunt just fine. Unfortunately the elk were not cooperating. When I left Colorado after the hunt I gave Elkie to Kenneth as a gift for inviting me to hunt with him.
After a while the sinew began to lift off of one limb. Kenneth tried to repair it but it happened again so Kenneth sent her back to me to make the needed repairs. I decided to remove all of the sinew and snake skin and start over from scratch.
After removing the old sinew and skin(back in April) I have been contemplating the entire rebuild and finally yesterday I began the sinewing process again. After removing the old sinew I sanded the back, used the toothing iron on her again wiped down the back with denatured alcohol and began the new sinewing. Here she is this morning after adding the first course of sinew last night. I will add at least one more layer but maybe two before re-skinning her.
Before, when I originally backed Elkie I didn't run the sinew through(over) the handle area. That is where her set occured, through the bendy handle. This time I did sinew through the handle area. I held the bow in reflex by tying a few pieces of sinew around the handle and around a hook eye screwed into the 2x4 form with her tips placed up on short 2x4 blocks. I figured I could just sinew over this sinew "tie down" and cut if off flush when done.
I have documented this entire process and will write a follow up article to "The Story Of ELKIE"(vol 15, iss 5, 2007) for PA Magazine.
Here is where we are now...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Elkierebuild1-13-11001.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Elkierebuild1-13-11004.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Elkierebuild1-13-11003.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Elkierebuild1-13-11005.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/Elkierebuild1-13-11002.jpg)
Lesson learned...sinew through the whole back of bow. Looks good! Pat what is a "toothing iron"? Do you use coarse sandpaper to prepare the wood for applying sinew?
Years back I bought a toothing plane to use on backed bows to rough up the glue surfaces. I build mostly stave bows so I found the toothing plane ineffective so I just took the iron(blade) out of the plane and use it as a scraper when I want a toothed surface. I use the toothing iron instead of sanding the surface to rough it up.
I just hope there is more to the story.
Plenty more where this came from Kelly! d;^)