Bow Docs I need real help with a riser...

[elkbreath]

kinda embarrassed to show you this one...I built this bow some 8 years ago.  75# @ 28" designed to be like a pronghorn.  It was my first and only three piece I built on my own (only self bows now if I build one).  The limbs turned out beautiful and I snake-skinned them.  I even got to shoot it a few times, and really seemed to shoot well.

I hated the red line in the riser from the start...

Anyway, One day not long after finishing it, I had it strung and sitting in my truck While i was in my friends house.  We got to shooting the breeze for a couple hours, unplanned.  

It got smoking hot in the truck and the riser pulled apart.  I tried everything to get those parts to glue back together. Epoxy in the cracks and pulled tight, Using my vise.  Eventually, I tried gorilla glue.  You can see that mess.  Nothing worked out.  I cant get them apart, and I cant get them together.  Can anyone here fix that or have some ideas?  I've tried everything and its really looking beat up, almost ready to throw in the towel but for the sentimental value, and I know it could be a very usable bow.

Also, the handle finish work leaves something to be desired and needs to be turned into shooting shape.  as does the shape of the riser...

Thanks for your help!

 

 

 

 

[Bowjunkie]

That's a relatively easy fix. Here's what I would do...

Scrape it down to bare wood.

Run it through the band saw, right through the red-colored accent, cutting it in half.

Use whatever means possible to completely and accurately remove the accent stripe and any remnants of glue lines.

Prep the gluing surfaces with a toothing plane blade.

Make a new accent stripe and prep its surfaces with the toothing plane blade as well.

Degrease all gluing surfaces with denatured alcohol about 1/2 hour prior to glue-up.

Apply Smooth On to all gluing surfaces and reassemble & clamp snug.

Set a shop lamp near it while it cures, possibly with a towel 'tent' around it to retain 'some' heat. Don't fully encapsulate it/insulate it so much that you start a fire.

Remove clamps, reshape and refinish.

Done.

What kind of wood is that accent stripe? Padauk? Cocobolo? Was it an oily wood?

[Trux Turning]

You should be able to heat your inserts and take them out- then follow "Bowjunkie's" advice. I'd probably use some glass or phoenlic in the new accent.

[elkbreath]

thanks for the help guys!  kinda what I was thinking, good to hear it from guys who know.  

I can't remember what that accent was, wood wise, been too long.  This project just kept gettin on my back burner.  I'm ready to tackle her now.