3. Removing the bandages

I was tempted to do this yesterday, but I thought an extra day to let the glue set real firm couldn't hurt. After all, I've never used this epoxy (or any epoxy for that matter) before, and I don't know how it works.
So today, with considerable impatience and expectation, i unclamped the join and removed the "bandage" to see if my work had indeed been a masterpiece or a frankenstein's monster.

I am pleased to report that the billets are holding together! The glue is hard as a rock and has filled up all around the splice and into the gaps quite nicely.

That clear stuff is the epoxy which has completely filled all the gaps between billets

The idea of wrapping the splice with the rubber band seemed to work well as it held the glue in place while it was setting, and at the same time the rubber band came off easily enough.
I daresay this will hold quite a considerable amount of pressure. I would still feel more happy if i could put a rawhide backing in the handle area, but that is a matter we will deal with at a later time.

The "back set". Not sure if you can see it from this picture though

As you can see from the last picture, the billets have been glued with perhaps 1 inch of back set, which will aid later on when the bow will start to "follow the string". Are you following me?

The next step will be to carefully review the measurements for this type of bow as indicated in the Traditional Bowyer's Bible, and then draw these on the back of the stave accordingly, as accurately as possible. That's all for today...