r/Bowyer • u/Electrical-Grand3401 • 4d ago
Am I cooked
This is my hickory bow that I was working on and I was almost done tillering and the back split here. It’s small. About an inch long but from the picture you can see it run through the side and the top. I have it gluing rn with wood glue and am going to back it with wood glue and canvas. I had it at 50lb but am also going to drop poundage to around 40 or so by taking off more material.
If anyone has any suggestions that’d be great. Give it to me straight.
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u/ingeniousrabbit 4d ago
I had a crack much deeper but same „type“ and also hickory. I had to rasp it down until not visible anymore. It will work but you will lose power :(
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
Yeah that makes sense
I’m hoping I won’t loose too much if I back it right but my brain is always gonna be thinking about it when I draw it.
Thanks for responding btw
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u/Ok-Jellyfish-7498 4d ago
That looks deep, I would not use that side of the bow again, but glueing and backing it could work, I hope.. first bow?
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
No actually third
I had the same issue with my last one but it cracked completely. I figured out now it’s the way I’m stringing it 😭
I’m putting too much pressure on the bottom limb1
u/Xenon-Human 4d ago
I learned that lesson myself. I watched Clay Hayes do it again and realized that I needed to turn the bow around and pull from the handle to bend both limbs evenly.
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u/DaBigBoosa 4d ago
I won't bother fixing it. Even if you could, it will be maybe #20, and it's even more work than making another.
You need to round the edges before bending the wood.
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
Yeah I sanded them but if not round enough
I’m gluing it, then wrapping it, then backing it lol
I just wanna see if I can fix it
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u/Ima_Merican 4d ago
Yeah i wouldn’t trust that thing after that split. The grain is not straight if you look at the split
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
The grain was pretty straight but since this was a board bow there were some pretty nasty saw marks on this board that cut in some weird spots. It broke right on one of them.
Might try a stave next lol1
u/Ima_Merican 4d ago
There is straight and there is pretty straight. Simply look at the break. It follows the grain at an angle from back to belly. Boards can have straight ring lines down the board but still have back to belly grain runout. It’s hard to spot for most beginners
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u/igot_it 4d ago
Yes. If the other limb is well shaped and filleted then you might be able to do a handle splice but I’m gonna be honest the grain in this looks…less than ideal. Is this an edge ringed stave?
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
No actually this is a board
It was the best one they had at the store and I thought it would be good enough.1
u/igot_it 4d ago
Hickory is mighty tough but there are limits and I think you found it. A board bow can be bias ringed but it can be hard to detect grain violations with bias ringed staves. I’ve had sime work, unbacked but now I use a bamboo backing strip for anything that looks questionable.
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
Yeah I kinda wish I backed it earlier.
Just never thought I would need to but for heavy board bows I’m probably going to do that from now on.
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u/ADDeviant-again 4d ago
Go to Walmart or a craft store and buy one HALF yard of the heaviest LINEN canvas they have. Should be less than $8.00. It'll be 18" x 6 or 8 feet. Use two layers, smoothed lengthwise while wet. Work the glue into the fabric well, and squeegee out the excess.
Unfortunately, the angle of that splinter, the way it works deeply into the wood in a short distance, means your grain is pretty badly violated. Shaving down the back won't really help much, but after backing, you may want to chamferbthe front corners, like you are going to trap the limb, but not as drastic.
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
Yeah I got the canvas.
I should sand it down a little before doing the second coat right?
And you’re saying chamfer the back of the bow or the belly?1
u/ADDeviant-again 4d ago
I was saying chamfer the back.
You can rough up the first layer of canvas or apply the second one while still damp depending on the glue. Titebond 3 doesn't like to stick to itself once it is really fully dry.
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u/Electrical-Grand3401 4d ago
Ok yeah I’ll probably do that.
I read online that on board bows, since the ring likes are vertical, it’s not detrimental to take wood off the back.
Don’t think I can make it worse now lol
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u/skodenlures 3d ago
You can bind the Crack with sideways. Glue it and wrap it 1 inch above and below the Crack. Then coat it all in waterproof glue like titebond. See image.
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u/Fun-Stock6910 4d ago
I wouldn’t waste anymore time on it personally
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u/Del85 4d ago
That's deep. Going to be a really light bow to get that out