Hickory Board Bow Splinter... Can it be fixed?

[Buxndiverdux]

I hope so. It was turning out real nice. Can I glue the splinter? If not, what do I need to do to the splinter to back it? I really want to salvage this one.
 

If the splinter can be fixed, what should I try with this stiff right limb?
 

[trentcur]

I feel your pain........ Im keeping my fingers crossed for you. Ill leave the fix it advice to those more experianced. It looks in your pic though like you have a lot of stress right at the fades......... which is where you lifted a splinter......

[PEARL DRUMS]

Is that on the belly of the bow?

[Buxndiverdux]

Originally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
Is that on the belly of the bow?

Its on the back... near a handle overlay...

[PEARL DRUMS]

Can you snap a pic from up top? I want to see the handle overlay. Thats a strange fracture and it appears to be decent hickory.

[SportHunter]

It looks like the majority of bending is right at the fades creating high stress in that area. Build a gizmo & learn to use it, they are great.
What design are you going with? Some designs have mostly an even thickness like the pyramid design while others taper from thicker at the fades to thin at the nocks.

[Buxndiverdux]

Ok. PD. It's unstrung now, but here goes.
 
 

[Buxndiverdux]

Its not like it was a freak thing. I stressed it too much trying to brace it. Which is the same way I cracked my previous attempt. But now I know better. I really didn't know why my first one cracked but now I've done it twice, so duh huh.    I'm learning the hard way. I won't make this mistake again. I've been too worried about missing my target weight but now I have a much better idea of when its ready for a shorter string. I just hope I can salvage this one.

[PEARL DRUMS]

The grain looks pretty good. Hickory doesnt need to be perfect. Did you extend your overlay too far past your fades on the core? I believe that is what is happening. Rasp/scrape the ends of your overlays back 3/4". GENTLY warm the crack area and fill it with thin super glue. Make sure the wood is just warmed and not even close to hot. Let the glue flow in and keep filling it until it wont take anymore. You could wrap that with silk thread or sinew. My choice would be silk thread. Saturate the wrap with wood glue and let it dry. Then saturate it again. There are a million other ways to try to fix it, that one is just easy and works. Scrape the mid section on both limbs 20-30 times each before you pull on it again.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Or grind that overlay off and glue a backer on.

[Buxndiverdux]

Could I leave the overlay and brown paper back after the crack dries? I have no idea how long an overlay should be, I just did one. LOL... How It's about 7 1/2" right now. My handle is 8" tapered to 4 1/2" at the grip.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Brown paper sack is worthless in my opinon. Its just a matrix to hold glue and has no strength of its own, again in my opinion. I would use a hard backing like hickory. Its very easy to make and glue a backer down with the same gue you used on your overlays.

[Buxndiverdux]

How long should the overlay be?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Well inside your fades. Probably not more than 5 - 5 1/2" long.

[Buxndiverdux]

Should I string it to open the crack so the super glue can get in there easier and then unstring it to dry? Or just glue it up unstrung?

[John Scifres]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove wood where a bow does not bend enough.