? for bowyers who use sinew for backing

[burnt]

I've built a few bows that have sinew backing. generally I give the sinew a few weeks to cure before I string the bow and shoot it.  My question is how long do you cure your sinew and why?

[Art B]

If your sinew has been laying around for, say a year, then it's already seasoned. If you just cut it from a deer then it's still green. You can use seasoned sinew on your bow and all you have to do is let the glue/sinew dry out. That's just my opinion of course. Using green, but dried sinew, then you need to give things more time for things to cure/dry. But I think any type glue used for sinew needs a month to really set/harden properly...........Art

[burnt]

Thanks Art but what I'm asking is how long do you let sinew cure on a bow before you start bending the bow.

[Pat B]

On my first sinew backed bow I waited a month between layers of sinew, added 3 layers and another 2 weeks for the snake skin covering before adding a finish.
 I'm working on a sinew backed bow now. I added two layers over a 3 day period. I will add one more then let it sit for a month before stressing it. I may have to retiller someas this is a re do job.

[Silent Bear]

it depends on what glue you are using, I make my own sinew glue I let dry around a week before stressing it

[burnt]

Thanks guys. I'm adding one last layer totalling three on a bow I've been working on in between other bow projects. using tbIII.  taking the easy way this time.

[Art B]

Cure and dry are two different things. Sinew doesn't have to be on a bow to cure out.

I use only the TB3 myself and I've waited as little as 5 days before shooting the bow. Obviously, the longer you wait the better. But as I mentioned earlier, IMO, I think it takes at least a month to get full benefits from any type glue......Art

[ChristopherO]

I wait a month with the bow in an upstairs room that has skylights for the sunshine and a fan running to help the drying process.  First, though, it sits a day or two to start to set before turning on the fan.

[John Scifres]

With TB3 I have worked it in a week.  With hide glue (gelatin) I waited at least a month.

[burnt]

thanks again fellas.

[Eric Garza]

I've strung a bow in as little as five days, but normally waited a couple weeks.  I don't think stringing and shooting a week after sinewing a bow hurts anything, just realize that as the sinew and glue dry (which is a very long process, taking a year or more) the bow will continue to become harder to draw.  The draw weight you measure two weeks after applying sinew will be smaller than the same draw weight two years after applying the sinew.