Two Consecutive Bows Broken, a little advice?

[James Ashford]

I've made a few flat selfbows in the past that have turned out great, and still shoot wonderfully, but had a very primitive design and look. I have been trying to expand my abilities and add a few more complex touches to my bows.

I made a red oak board bow and attemped to cut an arrow shelf into the bow. When pulled to maximum weight, after essentially the entire process was done, *creak...creeeeeaaakkk...SNAP* right at the arrow shelf. I guess I cut too far in and made that point to weak to take the stress. At least that mistake is easy to understand and not repeat next time.

The second bow I broke was a Hickory (from stave not from board) bow, that I wanted to put recurves in. I was totally done with all of the shaping and the first round of tillering. I was using a heat gun to heat the hickory and bend it around the form for the recurves. I was actually amazed as how bendy and rubbery the wood got when I heated it up. But the wood cracked right at the bend of the recurve. The natural rings kinda delaminated.

So, I don't quite understand what I may have done wrong on the recurve. What causes that, especially in Hickory which can usualy handle just about anything. Heating too fast maybe? Does it need to be wet heat? I was using dry heat to avoid a very long re-drying process since Hickory is such a pain to get dry in the first place.

Thoughts?

[KenH]

My best guess is you used too much heat too fast -- a common fubar when trying to bend wood.

[Pat B]

Instead of cutting in a shelf make the arrow pass narrow (about 1" wide), Round the corners and add an arrow shelf using wood, leather, antler, etc.
 Hickory reacts better to steam than dry heat when bending recurves, etc. Even if the recurves don't crack I have had them pull out after a little use.

[Echatham]

Also if you put some metal banding or a ruler against the belly of the curves u.der the clamps it helps to hold down splinters that try to lift

[LittleBen]

X2 what pat and Eric said.

I'd just add that if you do cut a shelf, make sure the corner between the shelf and sight window is rounded and not a sharp corner and make sure the sight window is deep (like say 2" from back to belly)