About to sinew back a few bows and I've used Tite Bond and Hide glue before.  Have not used Hide glue as much cause of the mess.  What is your opinion between the two?  Do you think one does a better job?

Both will work with sinew but hide glue will allow the sinew to reach its full potential and add performance. TBIII and sinew is only a backing.

Hide glue has the potential to give the most return performance wise from the sinew if properly applied.
TB 3 can be used in such a way as to extract a goodly amount of energy storage from the sinew as well. If using TB3 the sinew needs to be soaked in warm water at least half hour prior to application after which it has to be lightly dried then drug through the TB. TB 3 has the advantage of water resistance.

If I'm going through all the work of harvesting, processing, and applying sinew to a bow, I'm using hide glue to get the maximum benefit from it.  If your set up is right, using hide glue isn't that bad at all.

Hide glue.

Thanks for the input. what setup do you use to keep the hide glue from becoming a mess.  When I've used it, it gets gummy and sticks to my fingers after a few courses.

In my experience, TB3 will work equally well.  It is easier to apply, cures faster and resists rehydration.  Do a search for some earlier discussion on this topic.

You have to keep the hide glue warm and about the consistency of thin syrup.  I modified an old coffeemaker I had into a sort of hotpad.  It's also handy to keep a bowl of clean water around and rinse your fingers regularly.  Finally, I like to presoak the sinew and leave it on a paper towel for 5 minutes or more before applying.  The best jobs I ever did with sinew were when I laid it down a strand at a time.  It's tedious though.

I have a crapload of lab grade gelatin you can have some of.  It is the best "hide glue" I ever used.  Very clean, doesn't stink and dries hard and clear.  I'll bring it next week if we can figure out a time to cut wood.

I've done both, and agree with John.   TB 3 works well, and still allows the sinew to do it's magic.   In fact, if there is a difference, it's pretty minor....I doubt I'll ever "go back" to using hide glue again.  

Having said that, hide glue works very well, and is not too hard to do either.

I bought a $5 crock pot from Goodwill and use it as a double boiler with a pan of hide glue floating in the hot water. Also a pan of clean warm water and a damp towel helps to keep your hands clean.

thanks for the input. John I let you know.

I have done both and for me hide glue is the only glue. Hide glue is only messier if you let it be. Drippy glue is drippy glue.

For me it isn't the mess of applying. It's the extra steps of mixing, heating and cleanup after that make hide glue a bit harder.  But like Mark said, hide glue is not hard at all.  And it does have a little nostalgia to it.  Kinda like the abacus  

When you use TB does it allow the sinew to pull the bow into some reflex as it dries?

when it is time to use sinew for backing, the only option is to use hide glue. the rest is dropping down the sinew performance as far as i know.

i tried twice to use sinew on backing but both has broken not because of sinew but only for wrong type of wood i used.

best.

Hide glue

Scrub-buster,

Yes it does.  I have proved it to myself.  But I am not a bow mythbuster. Try it and see.  Or don't.  It's all good.

John, I'll take your word on it.  I always thought sinew applied with TB was more of a protection backing like rawhide.
 I like to make as much stuff for bowmaking as I can.  I have over a pound of clean finely shredded sinew scraps waiting to be turned into glue.  I still have most of the glue left from my last batch I made.  I like to sinew back one bow every winter so I'm set for a while.

Yes, if properly applied with TB, sinew can pull a reflex. Both methods have their own merits. Either glue can be a sloppy mess with improper planning and technique.