linen backing question

[TimB]

I searched all over this town for some silk and came up empty handed. So I broke down went to an actual fabric store. They didn't have any either! They did have linen though. I've read up on how to glue it on and that sounds easy, but my question is:

Can I glue it on before I do any tillering? As in after the bow is roughed out (floor tillered?) but hasn't been put on the tree yet.

I ask because the ugly drywall tape that I used on the last bow went on right after I had the bow floor tillered but before the tree.

Side note: Much to my surprise the lady at the fabric place is into traditional archery and thought it was cool that I was building a bow.

[xbmedic]

On the one linen backed board bow that I made, I applied the linen with Titebond III after floor tillering and before I put it on the tree. I had the same experience at the fabric store when I got my linen.

[George Tsoukalas]

I usually glue backings on right after long string tillering and before stringing with the short string. Jawge

[TimB]

Well, I may have jumped the gun, but I went ahead and glued the linen on. Now that it's almost dry I'm starting to get a sense of how it will look once it's all finished and I've got another question.

Can I do anything about that cloth texture?

I would like for it to be smooth. I was wondering about putting on a layer of TBII glue to kind of fill the texture in. Thoughts?

[k-hat]

I just backed a red oak bow with linen, and didn't like the look of it either, the glue showed through (in retrospect, i used too much glue). I thought about painting it, went to wally's and got some indoor/outdoor krylon "brown leather" spray paint.  It turned out beautifully.  Showed to some of my friends and they figured it was leather.  Went nicely with my leather lace handle wrap!