How Much Stress is Too Much?

[TonyW]

I've shot Bears from the 50s with stress lines that were superficial, it seemed to me that they were in very thin surface glass.

Now I wonder about Bears from the mid sixties until the move to Fla. Some are pristine, but you often come across stress lines that are fingernail deep.

I know about locktite 420, but my question is:

When are these stress lined bows considered to be wall hangers?

[Bjorn]

If there is stress that runs up the belly into the string groove-the length of the limb-I consider that a non-shooter.
Other than that I would say when the lines fragment and cover half the limb face-maybe 5 lines-in any one limb face; time to not shoot it anymore.
And when the glass in between deeper lines starts to cup-time to quit. Those are my guide lines.(oops! sorry about the pun)

[TonyW]

Thanks Bjorn.

I try to keep away from the really stressed out bows, and never had the glory of shooting one that blew up.

The 5 line rule sounds pretty fair. I have shot single-lined stressed bows, with the stress near the riser, and they seem pretty sound.

I always wondered about the dry fires, loose nocks, or lightweight arrows causing the stress versus heavy use. I think this keeps me shooting heavy arrows from a variety of bows instead of just overflexing one.

[alaskabowhunter]

I think a bow with a lot of stressers can be refinished and the cracks repaired. After that I would shoot without hesitation. They were meant to be bent....

[d. ward]

You gotta be kidding.No joke I once owned and shot for about 2 years then traded it off a 1959 Kodiak that was a stress crack.There was not one inch of the bow that did not have cracks.Worse on the back then the belly.I just coated the bow with loc tite about 3 times.Still going strong today...bowdoc

[TRAP]

Doc, do you buy loctite in a larger container?  Is it sold by the pint or half pint?  Just curious?

Trap

[PAPALAPIN]

This is not exactly "stress cracks" but I have an original Jack Howard Gamemaster that has about an 8" X 1/4" strip of glass missing from the string notch on down on the belly side.  Just some slivers of glass left over the inner core wood.   Still shoots solid.  I got it for $49.00 as a non shooter but had to try it out.  I used to bring it to shoots and let guys shoot it as a testimonial to the quality of Jacks Bows.  Many guys that shot that bow ended up buying a brand new Howard.

I have another Jack Howard Gamemaster that must have been abused.  On the lower back side, right where the limb flexes, it has some very dense hazing and stress lines.  A big patch of it the width of the limb and about 6 " long.  Has no effect on the bow.

I don't shoot them regularly now, but I do shoot them.

[d. ward]

No Trap one oz bottle from a bearing company for about 18.00.But 420 is by far the best I have ever tested.420 is actually an industrail strength formula rather then your over the counter type loc tite.I have tested every brand made.I have also test every brand with the excelarator.The problem with any excerarent is it can sometime stain the fiberglass.So I do not use any of that,just good old loc tite 420 for under 20 bucks a bottle.Last me about 1 month...bowdoc

[TRAP]

Thanks Doc, Daryl

[TonyW]

I put masking tape on each side and each end of a crack to keep the 420 from running over the nonstressed area. My teeny bottle of 420 has been in the fridge next to the butter for a year and a half.