anyone ever use formica as backing? im trying to build a bow for my 5 year old and have some extra formica in the garage. was wondering how it would be for backing plus its green and brown color so it looks good to. let me know if this would be a bad idea. thanks

I think its a bad idea..There was a post a while back about this.  I think the census is it will snap.

For a bow THAT light I doubt it will snap until pulled waaaaaay too far.  For any type of adult weight bow I think its way too brittle for use.

15-20 lb bow.

I watched a Fred Bear video last night where he mentioned in passing that formica was one material they used while experimenting with laminates.  My guess is it did not work since I have not seen any Bear formica bows.

One of my little struggling companies is Formica or technically plastic laminate. Formica is paper phenolic and you could wrap it around a pop can so bending it to far to failure is not an issue. Linen phenolic is the same thing as micarta. Maybe it delaminates on the paper glue lines in real use. It is very heavy and not very springy. Those are the facts to contemplate for yourself. Jim

I've used formica but, only to finish my bow form surfaces. Makes a nice smooth surface. I would not use it on a bow!

Paper glued on would be a much better backing as it won't be nearly as heavy and ruin the cast (distance the arrow flies) of the bow.  Paper gets very tough in that application.

I second the paper.  I use it quite a bit.  Here's a couple of bows with paper backings:









Use the brown shipping paper.  Apply a watered down thin layer of Titebond III to the bow's back and let dry.  Then apply a generous layer of glue again to the back, slightly dampen the paper, and apply to the bow.  I use two pieces with a splice at the handle and work from the handle to the tips.  Makes it much easier to apply.  Use you're fingers to smooth the surface and ensure proper glue dispersion/adhesion.  No clamps necessary.

Before trimming, I often stain the paper to contrast the wood.  After staining, I apply either superglue or Minwax's Wood Hardener (like watery superglue).  Then I use a file to trim the paper and round the limbs over at the same time.  Finish off with some sandpaper and steel wool and you're good to go.

The paper backings will take a lot more abuse than you'd think.  It's wood fiber with no grain, so it's strong in all directions.  Combine that with glue and you've got a good thing going.  Plus, it's cheap!

Formica paper is already impregnated with resins and cooked so it is very non porous and probably will not allow any epoxy to soak in like paper will. Then again the glass is not porous and it sticks. Jim

thanks for all the info. how about clothing?