I'm in the last stages of making a bow. The wood,(handle)is osage and the horns (limbs) are from a gemsbok. Tradition dictates hide glue(which I can make) but I was wondering if there is a better choice.
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I have used it in the past for gluing rawhide to the limbs for bakcing. Sorry I don't remember the recipe for making the glue from Knox. Joe
WATERPROOF GLUE
Ingredients:
2 envelopes (1/2 oz.) unflavored gelatin (like Knox)
3 tablespoons of cold water (must be cold)
3 tablespoons skim milk (must be skim milk)
several drops of oil of cloves (optional)
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Set it aside until the gelatin has softened.
2. Heat the skim milk to boiling point and pour into the softened gelatin. [It won't take long to bring three tablespoons of milk to boiling, so watch carefully.] Stir until gelatin is dissolved.
3. Add the oil of cloves as preservative if you don't plan to use the glue up in one day.
Yields about one-third cup of glue.
How to use this glue:
Use this glue while it is still warm by brushing a thin layer on objects to be glued. This works best when you are glue decorations onto glass.
If you are gluing marbles together or glueing metal to metal, use the glue after it has gelled (cooled).
My friend used this recipe to glue an antique cup and saucer back together. The cup is still usable.
Have a good one! Joe
in my opinion Hide glue is the one of best things you can use, there are several ways of getting it powderd liquid or homemade, it naturally adheres to the horns because they are similar materails and they liquify at about the same temperature and remain flexible for years. then there is fish glue which has all the same propertys of hide glue but is made from the renderd swim bladders of fish like salmon, I have never made it but have read extensively, and asked around. I understand it is better than hide glue because as an added benefit the fish oils make it nearly waterproof, I live in WA state and it rains constantly during archery season I just havent taken the time to render a batch to try it on my own bow plus it would stink the whole place. there are several bowyer books at the library and sites like amazon that go into more detail. I have experimented with several manmade polys and resins and find that nothing beats the old fashioned way. most seem to break down or seperate from the bone whereas the hideglue can be re-renderd and re-finished especially convenient when tuning your bow.
Mind you this is only my opinion I am not a professional bowyer, I have built less than 20 bows in the past 20 years. not all sucessfully someone else may just have the "perfect material" I will check back myself to see if there is a better answer. the knox gelitan is a new one to me I am just a litle nervous to try something too radical on a bow I have invested 2 years in preparing it may work I would start small though like a sample bow first.
it sounds like you will have a really unique bow no matter how you go.
Good luck. Eric
Laminate bows are made with EPOXY. In fact, had it not been for the creation of discover, laminate bows and laminate gun stocks wouldn't be anywhere near the price that they are today.