Meareheath bow +glue?

[spiritofold]

I've posted this question on a couple of bowyers forums, i just like to pick the brains of those who might know on here though.

The Meareheath flatbow has strapping, might be rawhide or sinew. My question is, how would this have been stuck to the wood? I dont think hide glue would have been upto the job, perhaps im wrong? Do any of you have any ideas about how it would have been done? Im in the process of making one of these bows, and to make it more authentic
i want to add the strapping, what modern day adhesive do you think would be best to use?

Cheers!

Andy >>>>>-------------------------------------<>

 

[C_Claycomb]

For sticking rawhide or sinew you have to go a long way to get anything better than hide glue, or fish bladder glue. PVA works for linen, and might well work for rawhide. Sometimes though the original materials are the best. There really isn't a synthetic substitute for sinew, for instance.

 

[spiritofold]

I keep finding references to fish bladder glue, as well as fish glue. I spose its one of those things that has to be made rather that bought?

 

[Mike Ameling]

Hide glue is the traditional material used. REAL hide glue, not some synthetic modern substitute. And it is more "flexible" and will ... give a little ... instead of the hard/rigid modern glues/epoxies. And hide glue is strong enough that you will have to scrape/grind/sand it off to remove it. It is also pretty much the same "material" as real sinew.

Fish Glue is the same thing as Hide Glue, just made by boiling fish bones/parts instead of animal bones/parts.

Some modern materials can work better than the old original stuff, but only ... some.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. If you cook a beef roast in the oven, and then let it set in the pan in the ice-box overnight, that "gelatin" you see in the bottom of the pan is the start of hide glue. Just cook that "gelatin" a bunch more to remove most of the water in it. That gives you Hide Glue. (it ain't all made from boiling the hide) That "gelatin" residue in the bottom of the pan is also the same stuff Jello is/was made from - before they developed a synthetic version. The "all natural" versions of Jello and similar products is still made from boiling animal "parts". (Another little "detail" that many vegitarians don't want to acknowlege hearing - just like the use of eggs in baking.)

 

[spiritofold]

Cheers for the explanation!

Hide glue sounds tougher than i thought. I spose the only way i'll know is to play with some with some rawhide and see how it sticks to a scrap piece of yew. Do you have any idea of the drying times? Im guessing days or weeks rather than hours.

Cheers for your time folks!

Andy >>>>>------------------------------------<>

 

[Roibeard]

Hide glue usually sets in about 12 hours I would wait a few days before fully straining any joint though.
It would take longer to dry in damp weather so I generally leave my glue projects to dry out in the warmest room in the house to quicken things.

 

[spiritofold]

Cheers for the answers folks!

What do you reckon would be a good, traditional finish for a meareheath bow?

Andy >>>>>------------------------------------<>