Prepping Birch
I want to put Birch on a bow. It is not a true asiatic bow but a Kassai glass bow that I want to look better till I can afford a real one.
You may say don't bother but I will anyway.
Is there anything I should do to prepare the birch for putting on the bow? It is mostly uniform in thickness and I will be wrapping it the same way the leather was on the Kassai bow.
I have several things made out of birch from Russia and the bark is leathery. What is done to make it that way?
You may say don't bother but I will anyway.
Is there anything I should do to prepare the birch for putting on the bow? It is mostly uniform in thickness and I will be wrapping it the same way the leather was on the Kassai bow.
I have several things made out of birch from Russia and the bark is leathery. What is done to make it that way?
Hi Tamr. Are you the same guy that used to be on Spitfirehorsebows? We miss your posts over there if you are.
You don't actually need to do much with Birchbark to get it ready. I usually just select some good clean strips of either one layer or a couple of layers that show no signs of separation and glue them on like wallpaper.
You would want to lightly sand the back of the bow and then just use a glue like titebond 3 to hold it on.
If you put the strips in boiling water they will become flexible and slightly stretchy so you can put them on easily.
Bark used for other uses is usually selected in greater thickness and from layers deeper in that have stuck together.
There is also some thought that soaking bark in seawater and then boiling it makes the bark tougher and more leathery.
A thin cosmetic layer doesn't need that treatment.
You don't actually need to do much with Birchbark to get it ready. I usually just select some good clean strips of either one layer or a couple of layers that show no signs of separation and glue them on like wallpaper.
You would want to lightly sand the back of the bow and then just use a glue like titebond 3 to hold it on.
If you put the strips in boiling water they will become flexible and slightly stretchy so you can put them on easily.
Bark used for other uses is usually selected in greater thickness and from layers deeper in that have stuck together.
There is also some thought that soaking bark in seawater and then boiling it makes the bark tougher and more leathery.
A thin cosmetic layer doesn't need that treatment.