HelP!!

[Bow-cephus]

Well, I am new to this bow making stuff but I already love it. I'm breaking every stick and board in my reach. I have recently made up this red oak board bow that hasn't been finished out or pulled yet. Here's my question though! The last two red oak boards I'v whittled on popped splinters out the back. So I need some backing suggestions? What would everyone use?

I've been considering fabric, and would like something I can lay down with my TB III.

Thanks everyone  

[BigArcher]

I haven't had too much luck with fabric.  At least the stuff I used on a Yew bow.
I have had great luck using a thin strip of hickory on the back of suspect woods. If using boards just glue them together ( the oak and Hickory) and then cut off the Hickory to about 1/8".  That should keep your Oak from breaking and look pretty good too.

P.S.  If the bows are breaking near the fade outs, Try working near the limb tips till you see bending there and then work towards the center.  Many times it is hard to see that the limb farther from the center is not bending as much as it should.  So all the bending is done nearer the handle until the wood can't take it.

BigArcher

[Bow-cephus]

Thanks for the advice, I've only broken a few. And as you suspected one of them did have this problem. My last, well it looked great but I got a bandsaw recently and was in a hurry. We'll just say I got a little cut Happy. This one I have on my table now is just to pretty to let go; it is a red oak body with a layered blk walnut and oak riser with a R/D witch fades to walnut at the tips and hopefully antler string nock overlays

[Pat B]

Brown grocery bag paper, silk, linen and rawhide will help hold down splinters in a wood bow. All can be put down with TB glue.
Also rounding edges will help too.

[Bow-cephus]

Thanks PAt I think I'll try the linen if I can find any around here!

[Pat B]

Any thin cloth will work. The heavier the cloth the more glue it will absorb and the heavier your limbs will be. This adds to hand shock and lowers performance so keep it relatively thin.
 Check out the silk neck tie section of your local thrift store. Usually a dollar or 2 each and already with decorations. Silk or linen blouses or shirts are another good cheap source.

[Bow-cephus]

That sounds awesome, I've day worked ranchwork around here for years and I'm in snow country so I have wild rags (silk cloth) everywhere and a couple with some realtree patern on them.

[David Holt]

You can also use the rawhide from a 16/18 inch dog rawhide dog bone.  Soak it for a couple of days and you can untie the knots on the ends.  The center piece will be about 36" long and 3-4" wide, plenty for both limbs.  Cut to size and clean the grease off with Dawn dish washing liquid.  Pat dry and glue on with TB III.  The rawhide is thick so you'll have to sand it down once dry.

[Walt Francis]

My preference is either rawhide or sinew; rawhide is a lot easier.  I used the rawhide dog bones on a couple of bows but it takes a lot of sanding to get thin.  I discovered antelope rawhide (Moscow Hide & Fur) and haven't found any rawhide that comes close to its ease of use and performance, little if any thinnig is needed.  However, I must admit, after finding a good source for bison back sinew I now use sinew exclusively when backing a bow.

[Tom Leemans]

Walt - How do those pieces of rawhide come? Strips? The description at MHF wasn't very clear.

[Pat B]

Tom, I believe they come in hides and sides(one half of a hide). I usually use deer rawhide but have heard that goat is very thin and very strong. Probably any of the deer, goat, antelope type animals rawhide would work great.

[Bow-cephus]

Thanks for all the advice guys, Also on a different note. Has anyone used Willo (?spelling) for bow wood?  

[Innocente]

regarding willow:
http://sites.google.com/site/onemississipp/bowwoods

[rbbhunt]

You gan get linen and silk backing from Rudder Bows.  I've used the linen on a Hickory backed bow that had splintered and it has held together.  I used TB III to glue it down.