This bow has been chugging along for years, sinew backed Osage. While I was shooting it today I heard a tick at the shot and the arrow went way off target. Felt weird. I looked the bow over and noticed the tiller was off on the lower limb now and there is a separation of the sinew from the back. Here are some pics. Could I get some glue down in there and clamp it?
Probably best to remove it completely, clean up the surfaces and re-glue it.
I agree with Ken. I had this happen a few years back. I used TBIII to reglue it and that held well but the bow was never the same. By redoing the sinew you can have your old friend back. :thumbsup:
This bow is also snake skin backed. What would be the best way to remove it all?
That will depend on the glue used. With hide glue soaking will probably allow you to remove the snake skin but that isn't a given. With TB glue, no.
When I finally removed the sinew from the bow I was talking about, also snake skin backed I was able to peel the combo off in one "'sheet without taking any wood with it. I then soaked the sinew/skin "sheet" to dissolve the hide glue so the wood itself didn't absorb any moisture.
Pretty sure it was TB.
You may be able to gingerly lift(work) the old sinew/skin off but you won't be able to reuse them.
If you used TB, then use a heat gun to warm things up before you try lifting it. Start lifting at the tip end and work your way down to the handle. And repeat...
Removed it all. I will start fresh and hopefully kill an antelope with it next year in Wyoming.
Those of us who build the occasional (every few years) wood-horn-sinew composite bow in one of the Asian traditional styles never use anything for glue other than an a mixture of Hide and Fish Glue. The Fish Bladder glue combined with hide glue has a much longer working time than plain hide glue. Drying time is measured in months, not days or weeks.