Cherry Bow With West system Epoxy

[WILL CAROTHERS]

The first layup i will try will be a simple 1/2 in cherry core with a glass cloth backing. i think it may work. I might even put a layer of glass cloth on the belly and sandwich the wood.

Im not starting for 2 weeks, so i have lots of time for input.
Thank for the help!

[Pat B]

The FG backing can easily over power the cherry belly. Adding more FG to the belly will add excess weight that can take away from the bows performance.
  Also, if I were going to add glass to a bow I would use glass made to add to a bow. It is designed to give the best performance for the least amount of physical weight.
  If you are adding FG for durability I think you'll find you get the opposite effect. Silk, linen, rawhide or even brown paper bag with give you plenty of protection without the excess physical weight.
  If you are doing this "just because" then go for it and let us know the results. Maybe even do a build along!

[Living_waters]

I talked to a older gentleman at a trad shoot this fall and he told me he was selling a glass backed bow. He was buying uni directional glass from Jamestown distributors and I believe he said he used smooth on. He was shooting a hill style bow with an osage belly (no glass) and some white wood back with the glass. It didnt blow up while we were shooting.

Tried fg on maple kids bow not good results.

[WILL CAROTHERS]

I really cant afford the "bow making glass" ive heard of a few using cloth, but what woods do you think would be strong enough in compresion so that they dont get overpowered.

I know cherry has good compression strength, so i think that if it was well tillered it may not check.

[JamesV]

Will.............

Try to Get with someone who can mentor you in bow building. You stated that your money was funny but using inferior materials is never cost efficent. Learn to build a simple functional bow then work up to a glass bow if that is your goal. Then use only materials designed for bowbuilding.   Good Luck with your project.

James................

[Pat B]

Why are you backing this bow? If you have a good back ring that should be strong enough. Unless the wood has rot in it or is too dry a bow will generally fail in compression and not in tension.

[WILL CAROTHERS]

Im only fourteen, so im left to the few woods that i can pressure my parents into buying. Ive already used the wood that ive been able to use for a bow (hickory/cherry, maple/ walnut, and selfbows of all) So i have experience in regular wood bows, but i have lots of left over material, that just isnt good enough with grain imperfections.

I want to use the wood up, so i think it would be fun to experiment with different techniques, ive seen it done and work. I can afford laminates and such, but i grind my own. I can also afford epoxy, but with all of the wood i have, it would be more cost effective, i believe, to experiment with different techniques, and from what ive read, it seems as though the cloth can work, after all, i believe that they used cloth on the first glass bows.

[Living_waters]

To be honest I have learned tons more from the ones that broke, than I have the ones that shoot. And usually it has been an experiment that blows.

[Pat B]

Go for it! Apparently you know how to build a bow. Experimentation is what got most of us in this game anyway. Power to you! Do keep us posted with your results. Pics really help us old guys too. d;^)