Just wondering in general how good does contact cement (weldwood) work on wood and leather. Actually more specifically on wood/wood, leather/leather, and wood/leather?

I am brainstorming an idea of laminating hard leather together but it would have to be pretty tough. Also possibly using wood instead, and if so would contact cement be better or wood glue (this is probably a stupid question).

I have heard contact cement bonds darn near anything together. Is that about right?

Does it harm the finish on a bow or am I remembering correctly that it does not and you can rub it off after like rubber cement?

Thanks guys!

Well, I haven't tried it, but here's something you might be interested in from the manufacturer.

Tech Bulletin:
 http://www.dap.com/docs/tech/00030503.pdf  

MSDS:
 http://www.dap.com/docs/msds/00030503_english.pdf  

The tech bulletin says it's good for high pressure laminates, wood, plastic, and leather among other things.  It's also rated for indoor and outdoor use.

Past that, hopefully someone around here has actually tried the stuff on a bow.  If no one has and you try it, I'd like to know what results you get.

I have used it and it works fine and it does peel off easy.

It depends on the usage. I've used Weldwood contact to attach leather handle wraps to wood bows but I would not use it to bond wood to wood in a laminated bow.

I am actually making a little  handle section (kind of like a palm swell) for my buddies little asiatic bow with no grip shape. I figured I would shape it out of one piece of wood, laminated wood (so it was stable like plywood), or laminated leather. Then glue it on and wrap with leather.

That's the idea. Sounds like wood and wood glue might be the ticket.

I have heard guys soak leather in superglue, epoxy, wood glue and other stuff to make hard laminations. Any of you have experience with that? I would prefer to make it out of leather if possible.

Using super glue to soak layers of leather makes it like wood or rock almost.
When sanding or grinding it to shape it gives off some almost toxic fumes.

I was going to say the same thing.
I'd make a blank out of scrap wood the same as the handle, use this to wet form the leather. Then cover your blank in clingfilm or similar. Place leather on top and then soak with thin superglue. It will set rock hard. Then remove from your blank and glue onto the actual bow with something that's removeable with a solvent (if needed).

I use thick shoe leather to fill out the back of the handle. I wet the leather to make it more moldable and use TBIII to glue it down. After it dry I saturate it with super glue. This seals the leather and makes it sand smooth better.
http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/TGtradebow2011overlays001.jpg.html  







I also use leather as a riser on a bendy handle bow...

If you soak vegetable tanned leather with undiliuted ordinary household ammonia it becomes dark colored and very hard. Bue--.

Thanks guys, those are some great ideas. I'll see what I can do with this.

So if I make a wood section for the palm swell (it's a large one) and then glue it on and wrap the whole thing in leather, what kind of glue would I want to use?

It's a totally finished bow, so hopefully something that wont react weird to the finish.

If it helps, it's a samick mind 50 and he's looking for a high wrist grip. Which is kind of hilarious.

You should remove the finish to get good adhesion. Any good carpenters glue should work.

Ok thanks. How do you remove those finishes, sanding?

Also it would be attaching to black glass. Would that still be wood glue or something else?

Thanks so much guys. This is super helpful. I dont want to screw up my buddies bow. He has more confidence in me than I deserve.

I build wood bows. You'll get better suggestions from the glass bow guys.

I would use smooth on for glass to wood.

thanks roy

Your welcome.. You will not find a better glue than smooth on. Wood to wood or glass to glass or wood to glass, tip over lays, etc. Smooth on rocks...