How do you get a leather grip good and tight? Do you wet it and sew it on, or do you cut it too small and pull it together while sewing?
I do the latter. I use pretty thin leather and find it has a surprising amount of stretch and flexibility. I should add that I do straight grip longbows, so I don't have any extreme curves or depressions to deal with.
I like to apply a sizing of superglue to the entire area to be covered, and then stretch and glue the leather to the handle a little bit at a time. This ensures a very tight, uniform fit and helps prevent moisture soaked up by the leather from penetrating the wood in the riser. Sometimes I cover the back seam with a welt. Also, I sometimes roll under the leather on the top and bottom of the grip to give it a more finished look if using thinner leather. I'm not great at it, but here's a couple of examples:
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Flatbow%20For%20Steve%2009/HPIM3389.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Flatbow%20For%20Steve%2009/HPIM3387.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Flatbow%20For%20Steve%2009/HPIM3388.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3734.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3736.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3735.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Trad%20Gang%20Trade%20Bow%202010/HPIM3861.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Trad%20Gang%20Trade%20Bow%202010/HPIM3858.jpg)
nice , i think im going to do that rolled end on the wife's bow... you incorporate any rests into that rolled style?
-hov
I glue them on with contact cement, then sew up the front.
meant to say a covered shelf type of rest. sorry
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000052
My last grip I put on was from Alligator leather and I cut it a little short glued it and stitched it tight.
I glue and sew. If you put a strip of leather on the back side were the stiches are I think that helps make the stich a little neater. Good hunting Knifemaker