Backing Problem

[Lakota_Ghost]

I am working on a hard maple backed red oak board bow. Due to an oversight I glued on a 1/8" backing which is way too thick for the bow. Rookie mistake.

Ordinarily I would simply plane the backing down to where I want it to be, about 1/16" or so. The problem I have is that the bow has a slight reflex too it which makes it next to impossible to run evenly over a planer as it simply won't come out even.

I really don't want to use a hand plane to get a 72" bow backing down a whole 1/8" of an inch as that would take forever. I'm thinking that thhere has to be an easier way.

Suggestions?

[vanillabear?]

[CaptainJ]

Well you'd only be taking down 1/16" and a with good hand plane that's only a 10 minute job at most but I don't know what that would do to the integrity of the back of the bow.
A sander would do it quickly as well, but again, once you cut into the back it's the danger zone.
I guess if it's edge ringed you may be OK though.
Another thought is cutting the entire back off with a band saw and just replacing it.
Someone else here may have some good ideas.

CJ

[Pat B]

I'd say 1/8" is what you want also.   You can use a hand sander to thin the backing. I've done that with hickory backings with good luck.

[Lakota_Ghost]

I could be wrong, but I thought that the main purpose of the backing was to prevent the core from splintering and exploding in your face. With that said, if I could get by with a 1/16" backing why not do so? Unless there is some other benefit that a 1/8" backing would have over a 1/16" backing that I am missing.

I guess what I am having trouble understanding is why go with a thicker backing if a thinner one will probably do the job?

[NYArrow]

You could also ask why go thinner if a thicker will do the job? (and save a heck of a lot of trouble and risk of ruining the backing all together)

[okie64]

1/8" is what I would use for maple over redoak. You've got it right with the purpose of the backing but 1/16" is gettin pretty thin. If you get it that thin it kinda defeats the purpose of it. You want the maple to be thick enough to take most of the tension strength, at 1/8" thick its going to do just that. Most of the tension stress is at the surface but not all of it. If you take it down to 1/16" the redoak is going to be under that much more tension stress.