ATARNarchive

Glue to water ratio?

6 posts2007live thread
Evan Painter
I am going to be using hide glue on the bow I am building. I plan on using it for all the gluing (siyah V-splice, horn to core, riser to core, and sinew backing). Right now I am getting ready to glue the V-splices and the horn to core.
I have read that I should use multiple coats, starting very thin, then thickening the glue, but how many coats should I use? And are there specific glue to water ratio?

I do not have access to the Traditional Bowyers Bible right now as our library is in the proccess of moving, but I am working on ordering it.

Thanks,
Evan Painter
wk1234wk
Evan Painter

For siyahs and handle,1coat of thick glue is enough.

It is on the horn and core that you need to coat for many times with thin glue. You need 2--3days to coat horn.Coat the horn and core again when they are dry.make the gluing face rough with a file.

Good luck!man.
Evan Painter
Thanks.

So how many coats do you use for the core to horn, would 3 coats of thin glue on each be good, then one thick coat for the final? Or should there be more?

Evan Painter
rwelch
Evan ,I don't think it's a matter of a certain number of coats . What I'm trying to achieve by applying the thin coats of glue to the horn is ;

get some glue to penetrate the surface of the horns.

And to build up a little glue on the the horn.

This may may happen after 3 coats or after 6 coats.
Evan Painter
Alright, thanks.

I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do now.

Thanks for the help,
Evan Painter
Stephen Selby
The real point is the penetration of the other materials by the glue.

All the talk of Asian bows being made of bamboo, horn and sinew is not true. They're made of glue. :wink: