Increase a traditional bow's strength with fiberglass.
In the 1950s, Fred Bear, the owner of Bear Archery, started developing the process of including fiberglass in his company's bows. The process revolutionized the archery business by making available for the first time mass-produced, durable, affordable high-performance hunting bows. (See Reference 1, page 67) The same technology, developed in the 1950s and improved with the invention of epoxy glues, can increase the strength of a traditional bow. Many traditional bows use a natural backing material, such as rawhide, to increase their strength. (See Reference 2, page 138) Instead of adding extra strength with a natural material, use the fiberglass methods developed originally by Bear to make your bow stronger.
Instructions
1. Sand the back of the bow with a medium-grit sandpaper. If the surface has a varnish or other finish, remove the finish completely. Epoxy won't bond to finishes; it needs raw wood.
2. Mix a cup of epoxy as directed by the epoxy's instructions. Stir the epoxy for several minutes for a good mix. Once you mix epoxy, it starts to cure. You need to work quickly before it starts to gel.
3. Paint a coat of epoxy over the bow's back.
4. Lay the fiberglass on the bow's back. The epoxy you painted on the bow's back helps keep it in place while you paint the fiberglass with another coat of epoxy. Keep adding epoxy until the fiberglass "wets out," which means that it is completely covered in epoxy and the fiberglass changes from opaque to clear.
5. Run a plastic squeegee along the length of the fiberglass to remove any excess epoxy and to push the fiberglass firmly against the wood. Any areas where the fiberglass floats on top of the epoxy become weak spots.
6. Place the bow into a heat box if the epoxy requires post-lamination heat cure. A heat box is a box long enough to fit the bow with several heat lamps connected to a thermostat to give heat. Cure as directed.
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