BBI build along, my first backed bow

[Roy from Pa]

I think it looks great.

[vanillabear?]

[Echatham]

ok, this is how she's getting glued up. i thinned the ends of the power lam a bit more, can see light through it. I also talked my self into thinning down the thicker end of the boo. to do this i ran it down the disc sander a couple of times, and then smoothed it all out with a palm sander. glue lines still look good.
 
i scored the back of the ipe with a hacksaw blade and then wiped it down with acetone. now im getting the kids dressed and off to school and then i will get the glue out. wish me luck! any more tips before glue up send them now! i should be getting sticky in an hour or two!
 

[Echatham]

bowhnteverthing, by the label, should be 100:10 for fast, or 150:10 for slow. i don't know much about glues, and im just going to go 100:10 for easy math. but what is the actual difference between your 100:13, and 100:10 or 150:10? one mix more brittle than another?

[Roy from Pa]

Blow the dust off and wipe down with a rag and denatured alcohol.

[Echatham]

denatured alcohol, or acetone? I already did the ipe with acetone, but i have denatured alcohol too...

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

I do the 100:10 ratio but found that the glue is thinner than I like so I just add three extra grains of powder and have had no problems with it. Its not as runny but still a liquid. If that makes sense.

Acetone will draw up more oils so make sure it is completely dry before gluing it up. Rub it down real good with a clean rag.

Is your boo roughed with the hacksaw blade as well. If not make sure that is done too. Make sure you add glue both to the boo and ipe then put them together. I usually will wrap a piece of masking tape around the mid limb area and in the center so that the boo won't move.

Good Luck!!!

[Echatham]

ok i roughed up all glue surfaces except for the last two inches of power lam, because its so thin i didn't want to tear through it. wiped down all glue surfaces with denatured alcohol (man that ipe and curly maple are pretty when wet!) and im giving it a few minutes to dry while i get ready to mix up glue. how much should i mix for the bow? im thinking a snack pack cup, 3/4 full? i don't care if i have to much, but i don't want to mix more half way through application.
 

[macbow]

Probably too late to help.
I mix about 800 or 900 for this style.
Tuna fish cans make excellent mixing containers.
Hot water can be used to clean everything while still,wet.

[Echatham]

macbow i mixed up 1400. i did have some extra but i don't care. photobucket seems to be having a hard time resizing my pictures, but i will post them in a second when they are done. glue up went off without a hitch, its now in the bathroom with the space heater set on 80.

[Echatham]

so i mixed up the glue in a snack pack cup using a pencil, and used the pencil to spread the glue. covered all surfaces, piling it on in my known gaps (ends of the powerlam). stacked the pieces, and taped them together with frog tape near the tips and at the ends of the power lam. i draped 7' of saran wrap across the form, and layed her on there, and wrapped the saran wrap around the bow, just so it didn't get glued to the form or the clamps. clamped from the middle out, making sure everything stayed lined up.
 
 
 
 
 

BTW I used small c clamps with pieces of paint stirrer sticks for padding on the ends of the power lam, because i found that closed up the gap better than the spring clamps.

[Roy from Pa]

Good job, bet the wait to take it out of the clamps is gonna drive ya crazy:)

[Echatham]

well it won't be too bad, i will be busy, gonna sit down now and watch the "bowhunters of tradgang" i just got in the mail, then ill head off to work at 3, night shift tonight, day shift tomorrow, 6 hrs in between to sleep, and will be ready to take it out tomorrow after work. gonna pick up a 2x4 on the way home to make my tillering tree, and stop by the archery club to borrow the scale for a while (i should really buy my own!)

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Kudos Eric very well done sir.

[macbow]

Looking good.
After you wrestle the,plastic off. I use my disc  sander to clean,up the edges.  It will leave sanding marks but I use other sanders to,clean those up.
There will probably be some brittle glue on the back of the bamboo. I use the back side of a knife to scrape it off.

[Echatham]

thats pretty much how i envisioned it to go macbow. question though, i have seen some peoples bamboo backed bows where they sanded the back of the boo, and cleaned up the nodes. is that adviseable, or does that create risk of splinters and bamboo failure?

[Roy from Pa]

Yes clean off the little curly ruff edge of the node, sand paper will do that. The rine on the back of the boo will not take a stain, so I sand the rine off, but you just want to barely sand it off and not sand down into the power fibers. It's even ok to leave little thin streaks here and there on the back when sanding the rine off, gives the bow a neat appearence. Sand the limb edges of the boo so ya don't leave any square or crisp edges, sand the belly side of the bow edges also. You want the bow to have smooth round edges.

[Echatham]

perfect ok that's what i was thinking. thanks Roy. I may have to name this bow after you guys, all the help you have been.

[fujimo]

the only other thing i do for my glue ups, is that i tape all the edges of the wood with masking tape, and over the top of the backing,
sure makes clean up a ton easier, and neater.

[macbow]

I'd agree on the tape, but me and tape just don't get along very well.

For future glue ups. Tools I like.
Popsicle sticks for stirring, acid brushes, and a little one inch plastic looking roller they sell in the paint department .

I use the acid brush to dab on glue and the,little roller to spread it out.  Hot water clean up for all.