should know better but boo back

[Scott Beitzel]

my question is do you always round the edges on a bow build .
i am doing a boo backed ipe and hickery bow kit got it all glued shaped and ready to start tillering and shaping thee handle  but do i round the boo into the wood as with an all wood bow or not  and can i just sand the peeling off the boo and leave most of the nodes or can i sand them almost smooth  this is my first kit  and boo build .

thanks,
Scott

[macbow]

Scott, I'd say yes to rounding and sanding the corners of the bamboo. The one weak area on bamboo is any corners can splinter.

As for finishing the bamboo. I use a scraper to take the rind off. You will know when your through because the real bamboo fibres are much harder. Just don't scrape the nodes much a little sanding after scraping and your ready to seal or stain.
Ron

[Apex Predator]

You don't want the nodes flat.  It will blow!  Smooth them some, but leave them proud.

[Scott Beitzel]

thanks guys was chomping at the bit all day but didn't want to try untill i had some advice on wat to do would hate to ruin it .

thanks again ,
Scott

[Tom Leemans]

You can knock the rough edges down on the nodes, but don't flatten them. They naturally look like they have a crack or split in them. You can take them down until it looks like you're back into solid material. That is right about where you have gotten rid of the rough stuff. Stop right there. The back of your bow should look "bumpy".

Look at some of the pics on the Dryad bows site. That may help.