Who Does Limb Repairs?

[mrpenguin]

Hello everyone,

Recently, due to family needs, I had to sell my beloved (and just recently acquired) Black Widow PSR.  By God's grace I was able to get enough money to cover the bills and get us on track, but I also am left without a reliably functional recurve.  I still have a nice compound, but prefer to hunt with stick and string... but I digress...

I inherited a Browning Wasp from my grandpa.  It was my first recurve.  It has a slight delamination on the edge of the action glass of the top limb that really needs to be repaired in order to shoot it.  It also has a slight limb twist, which is usually correctable by counter-twisting and setting the string.  Does anyone know of a good bowyer in the New England area who could repair this?  Obviously, money is very very tight for us, so if you have any idea of what such a repair would cost that would be useful info too.

Thanks!

[frank bullitt]

Erik, you might ask over on the bowyers or history forum this ?. If you feel up to trying to fix yourself!

I had a Shakespeare recurve 45lbs. that had a severe twist. After straightening, over a period of time, my son begin to shoot it. Then awhile later the glass started to crack down the center.

I filled the crack with superglue and wrapped with a camo cloth type tape. He shot a deer with it that fall! Then a year later, he left it at a friends who's house burnt.

I had nothing to loose in trying, being the bow was given to me. Hope you get your's fixed!

Steve

[Jeremy]

Erik,

Where in CT are you?  Up for a field trip to East Haddam this weekend?  

It's relatively easy to fix small delams (and I've repaired some big ones too) and the limb twist is easily fixed too.

If for some reason we can't fix it I should have an extra bow for you to use until you can find another one.

[Whip]

I do a lot of different bow repairs, but honestly have stayed away from working on limb delaminations.  They can in some cases be repaired, but it is just something I am not comfortable charging people for knowing there is a reasonable risk that the repair will not work.  

Is the delamination between layers?  In other words, is it a failure of the glue versus a faliure of the core material?  Your chance of a successful repair are much higher on a glue failure.

It is something you can very easily do yourself, and as suggested, there is some great information on the history and collectors forum.  Loctite 420 is the stuff you want to use.  It will wick into the deepest part of the delamination, and then clamp it securely and let it set.  There are many bows that have been successfully saved using this method, and you really have nothing to lose by giving it a try.

Good luck!

[mrpenguin]

Thanks Gents!

[d. ward]

pick up a small bottle of super glue at home depot and add a few drop into the delam the super will generally pull the delam closed but you can add one of those squeeze clamps with about 1-2 pounds of presure it should be fine.You'll what to get the thinner formula super glue so it will wick itself into the gap bd

[mrpenguin]

Thanks Bowdoc!!