Leather covering
I am ready to try to cover / decorate my Turkish bow, i've been searching around for suitable leather but have only been able to find 1.6mm thick sheepskin. So far I have covered the bows back with birch bark and am ready to add the side strips and the sections that go on the kasan belly to cover horn / horn join.
What I want to know is am I wasting my time with this 1.6mm sheepskin or will it perfrom well enough as the side strips etc..? Adam recommends 0.6 - 0.8 mm thickness and not sheepskin!
What I want to know is am I wasting my time with this 1.6mm sheepskin or will it perfrom well enough as the side strips etc..? Adam recommends 0.6 - 0.8 mm thickness and not sheepskin!
Mike, the leather should be as thin as possible because of added mass. I think 1.5 mm is a little thick, but if you use it only on the sides it is less of a problem.
JJ
JJ
Best pieces of old leather jacket or sofa?
The leather is thin, soft and light.
Surely crome tanned and equally surely not very well strong against wear.
(You probably have higher standards for materials, just wanted to mention...)
The leather is thin, soft and light.
Surely crome tanned and equally surely not very well strong against wear.
(You probably have higher standards for materials, just wanted to mention...)
If you have trouble finding thinner leather, you can sharpen and polish the blade of your wood plane and use it to thin the leather strips. A plane with a very narrow chip opening works the best.
I sanded down leather, too. Works well AFTER gluing it on...
Thank you for the advice all.
I hadn't even thought about thinning it myself. I will have to do some experiments before I try on the bow itself. I have also managed to get some slightly thinner leather from a friend who had an old leather jacket - it is very soft.
I hadn't even thought about thinning it myself. I will have to do some experiments before I try on the bow itself. I have also managed to get some slightly thinner leather from a friend who had an old leather jacket - it is very soft.
Sheepskin is a soft and flexible leather and is usually chrome tanned commercially. As a leather it is usually too soft and fragile for covering a bow. If it is chrome tanned it will not be able to be wetted like a vegetable tanned leather and pushed into the concave sections of the kasan.
Goatskin is more successful and calfskin is the best. Oak tanning provides a good texture. Thickness should be 1 mm or less. If it cannot be shaved down, sanding on the flesh side might work.
Goatskin is more successful and calfskin is the best. Oak tanning provides a good texture. Thickness should be 1 mm or less. If it cannot be shaved down, sanding on the flesh side might work.
Please consider book-binder's leather. It is generally available in pleasant colours from sources in India by e-commerce.
S
S
They can help you further: http://www.pergament-trommelfell.de/eng ... ehmen.html
BTW kangaroo leather works also very, very well. It is thin, soft and you can stretch it ...
Reto
BTW kangaroo leather works also very, very well. It is thin, soft and you can stretch it ...
Reto
Parchment is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very reactive to changes in relative humidity and is not waterproof. (wikipedia)
drumskin = thin rawhide
drumskin = thin rawhide
Reto, I'm curious, did you try to cover bows with the parchment from the above suplier? As jkekoni worte, raw/unttaned hide has to be kept dry.
If you used parchment, you would have to varnish it to seal it once it was dry. The same is true for bark tanned leather. As Reto wrote, kangaroo leather is suitable and is very tough. I have covered a sword handle with it and they have survived in bad weather and with rough handling.
The problem with parchment is that it does not conform to complex shapes as well as tanned leather.
The problem with parchment is that it does not conform to complex shapes as well as tanned leather.
Grozer sold me a horn bow covered with parchment and waxed. I have never had a problem with it in Hong Kong's humidity.
Ashbow, check with Lukas N.