. If you add the bamboo backing to a finished bow, yes. Well maybe it won't shoot TWICE as fast, but it'll be a lot faster. But I've learned to always back the bow after I floor tiller and before I get down to the nitty gritty and finish the bow out.

If yougo all the way through and tillered out the bow first, making it lighterdraw than you want it to wind up,it could break during tiller. Even if it didn't, you're gambling that the backing will add as much weight as you want. If it doesn't, then you wind up with a lighter draw weight than you set out to make. If it added too much,you'dhave to take the weight down andretilleranyway.So I think it makes sense to back the bow before you get into final tillering.

So, what I said is true. The backing can't add draw weight because you've alreadybacked the bow before working it down to the draw weight you want.

Of course, if you're trying to make an unbacked bow and the tiller fights you to the point it winds up underweight, then you can add weight by backing it with bamboo, wood or sinew. Cloth and rawhide backings really don't add any draw weight.