Did I make a mistake with this bow?

[South MS Bowhunter]

Been looking for an inexpensive Bow for a young man at my church and came across a good deal to me on **** so placed a bid and won it.  Now that I have I have some concerns with some fine hairline cracks that run vertical on the belly just below where you grip it on the riser.  Here are some photo of it, it is a Browning Nomad II, can someone please tell me if my concerns are justified?  Or it just in the finish, thanks.
 
 
 
 

[Horney Toad]

Those are basic stress cracks. Perhaps somewhat unsightly, but do not hurt the bow for shooting. Fire at will!

[richbat]

That bow looks like the twin to the Browning Nomad 1 i just picked up,Took it over to Mike Shaw yesterday to get it fitted with a new string for my boy Dillon and man does it shoot quiet and quick.Rich

[South MS Bowhunter]

Thanks Jeff,

Can the stress cracks be sanded out and refinished?  Richard i'm the young man i'm getting this for will love it, it's all he want to talk about.

[Horney Toad]

You can't hardly hide them. I hear of people putting super glue in real big cracks. I'd just leave it like that.

[oldbohntr]

They're not just in the finish and will not sand out.  Neither will they affect the bows performance. I have never found them to affect longevity, but,of course, it would be better it they weren't there.  I've always thought of latitudinal cracks as stress from shooting and these longitudinal cracks as "drying cracks".  Whatever, they seem to show up in certain models of bows from many makers in brown and especially black glass from the 50s and 60s.  

Super glue will not penetrate these cracks and will make a mess of your limb surface, requiring total refinish.  Locktite 420 will penetrate about any crack, but is thinner than water and will also require sanding and refinish.  

I'd simply wax it real good and take the kid shooting!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Thanks guys I know he will be pleased either way, it's just me that would like to refinish it if it was possible to get rid of the cracks.

[johnnyc]

I've found that those automotive paints that come in the pin like container work good to cover them up.  They have a brush on one side and an ink pin type of aplicator on the other.  There is a green that is almost a perfect match for the 70's bears, black is easy to match, and I found a near perfect match for the glass on my Browning Wasp.  I figured it made them look better and will at least possibly seal them from moisture.

[Elmer Fudd]

Try  good old fashioned Johnson wood floor paste wax from a can.  I use it on my bows and gun stocks to prevent finish scratches and minor wood dings. it also covers minor stress cracks like you have very well. It also offers a layer of water proof to oil finishes on gun stocks or any other wood surface. Don't tell your wife or you will be rubbing the coffee table too.

[PAPALAPIN]

No worries with that bow...should be a solid shooter and agreat starter bow.