Thoughts about sinew backed bows

[LittleBen]

Hey everyone,

I'm working on a sinew backed Eastern Red Cedar bow, it's 58" tip to tip, and 2" wide at the fades. Recurved tips (3" total reflex or so). Just glued on some thin hickory underlays to enhance the curve and stiffen.

It got me thinking, maybe it'd make a better bow if I add full length belly lamination of hickory after I get this thing tillered to say 10-15# below the desired draw weight.

I was trying to get 60# or so out of this thing and I'm having doubts about whether the ERC will stand up to it. I thoutht the hickory would be stronger and unlikely to chrysal with sinew as backing.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Pat B]

ERC is a lot stronger in compression than hickory. It is the tension side of ERC that is unpredictable but the sinew backing should take care of that. I think ERC and sinew are a good match.   Tiller your ERC out to the ultimate weight then sinew back it. After the sinew is completely cured retiller the bow to your desired weight.

[LittleBen]

Sounds good pat, although I think I will have to sinew back first, at least one layer because the stave is severly decrowned and not the cleanest looking back. Some ring violation and a few pinholes etc.

Hopefully I didn't do a stupid thing by adding tip iunderlays, the tips were just so thin they were never going to hold up to more than 30 lbs. I guess worst case I could grind the hickory inderlays off and laminated some ERC on there.

[snakewood3]

A little tip on ERC / juniper...bone the belly and sides with a fair amount of pressure. This will greatly improve the resistance to damage and might have some other benefits regarding shooting qualities as well.

[LittleBen]

thanks! will do.