Glass backing selfbows?

[barley40]

I guess this subjects been run by here before, but I've wondered about it. Would a thin glass back compress the belly wood too much?

[Marcus Bratton]

There are many safe alternatives of natural material that would be more than adequate protection for the bows back. Is there a certian reason you are thinking of glass?

[4est trekker]

Yeah, glass will overpower almost all woods.  Plus, it'll equal a very heavy bow (in physical weight and draw weight).  You'd have to thin the wood down so much to negate both of the above that you wouldn't have much left.  That would further damage the belly. Compare the thickness of a glass laminated bow and a good wood-backed selfbow.  Glass is just too strong to have good effect in this instance...in my opinion.

[Pat B]

A selfbow with an unviolated back ring doesn't need a glass or any other backing. The wood is strong enough to handle the job...if you are.

[John Scifres]

A thin layer of fiberglass cloth wouldn't compress the belly.  It'll work.  But I gotta ask why you are doing it.  

There are better choices for protecting the back from raising a splinter.  Rawhide or silk would be my choices.  

If you want the backing to do some work, sinew is a better choice.  I am sure you know that it wouldn't be a selfbow then.  It would be backed or composite bow.

Glass backing is counterintuitive to the purpose of using wood for a bow if you ask me.  It is difficult, messy, synthetic and stinks.

[longbow2364]

I think the best and easiest backing is rawhide with a snake skin over the hide, its all natural and looks great.  Leave the glass for the laminated bows.

[barley40]

Thanks guys, all I've built is hickory made from a stave, which of course needs no backing. Been thinking about other woods and figured they needed a backing of some sort. I guess I could laminate a strip of hickory on and it would be as good as any.

[John Scifres]

Well-selected pieces of almost any type of bow wood should be able to make an unbacked selfbow.

Hickory backing will work well for most any bow wood.