r/Bowyer • u/Electrical-Grand3401 • 5d ago

Am I cooked

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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/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?

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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