need some help

[huntersteve]

I'm in the process of building my first red oak longbow....my next step is to apply a backing to the bow....I've ordered a clear fiberglass backing for the bow and am waiting for it to arrive...my question is...when I glue up the backing to the bow ,do I need to clamp the backing in place while it dries?...if so can I use c-clamps and blocks of wood?? any help with this would be great...the build-along that I'm following does not give any detail for this....Thanks Steve

[Marvin M.]

Wow!  Almost to the bottom and no-one has answered this one.

All my experience so far is with selfbows, so someone else will definitely know more about this than me, but I would say yes.  You need something to hold it in place until it is dried/cured.  A bow form would be the ideal thing, but there are other ways to accomplish it.

I'll put it to the top so someone with more experience than me can jump in here.

Marvin

[Stalker58]

TTT

[Big Dave]

Ive never backed with fiber glass but yes you need to clamp it. You can put some reflex in it at the same time.

[R H Clark]

The only experience I have is with drywall fiberglass tape and you don't clamp that.If you are talking about the regular bow glass on all laminated bows,yes you will have to clamp and use something under your clamp blocks like thick rubber or thin alumunum to dispurse the pressure and clamp about every 2 inches.

I would think fiberglass material similar to cloth would work fine on a self bow.

[Crimson mist]

Sometimes red oak will get compression fractures on the belly when using high strength, thick backings, like glass, hickory and bamboo, thinner cloth backings work well like linen and cotton and they mostly just make the wood tension safe however putting glass on osage, hickory or other strong compression woods is another story

[huntersteve]

thanks for all the help....maybe I should stick with linen or drywall tape for this time since it's my first bow...steve

[R H Clark]

Steve, I have limited experience with self bows but from what I have studied,a Red Oak bow should be built long enough and wide enough for the archer's draw.Then it can be backed with linen,rawhide,drywall tape or something similiar just to keep it from raising a splinter on the back.

[Jason Lester]

I think adding fiberglass to the back only will only end in a broken bow. Or so I have heard. Use linen or something like it.

Good luck and take some pictures for us guys without a project going on.  

[huntersteve]

thanks for the info.....I've been taking pics as I go along....I'll try and post some of these up for you guys....I had someone to suggest using camo fabric as a backing....does it matter what the fabric actually is...and is one layer all that is needed? Steve

[huntersteve]

here are some of the pics.....
  ngglue-up004Small.jpg[/IMG]

[huntersteve]

6-7-20 07008roughedoutthebellySmall.jpg[/IMG]

[Jason Lester]

Looks nice. Just make sure your stiff in the handle/ fade area or the extra wood you glued on will want to pop off.