Help with a Mollegebat

[Alan PH]

Hi guys

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice with a Mollegabat. I recently started one made from an ash board. I backed it with linen and used hide glue to glue it on. I got the design from a magazine and it had the outer limbs about 2/3 the length of the inner limbs. I made the limbs unequal lenght to balance th bow. When it was drawing 49# at 23" the upper limb exploded. I want to make another one out of another piece of ash that I have. I found a pic of the original which appears to have the inner limbs 2/3 longer than the outer limbs. Anyone got any advice for me to prevent a second failure?

Thanks
Alan

[Pat B]

Knowing why the first one broke will let you know if the second board is appropriate for bows. Linen makes a good, strong backing but it will not save a fatally flawed board.
  I've never built that style bow. I did build a few Holmgaard bows or variations of it and it and the Mollegabat are interesting and very effective and efficient designs.

[Alan PH]

Hi Pat

Not sure why it broke, it was a good piece of ash (a friend who has been making bows for years helped me choose it). What I'm trying to work out is, were the inner limbs too short(only 1/3 the lenght of the limb) and there was just too much strain on them. The upper limb broke halfway through the inner limb, hit a ring, ran along the ring for a short bit and then went up and through the back of the bow leaving it in 4 pieces.

[Pat B]

The more working section of the limb the less stress overall. Start with a longer working section and if you are successful, shorten it and try again. Not only will you figure out what works best for you you will learn a lot from each bow.

[Alan PH]

Thanks for the advice Pat, I'll give it a try