sawed one in half today...

[Msturm]

I have been working for the past few weeks on real slim snakey guava bow at 67 in tip to tip 66 nock to nock. Real pretty bow, took well to heat bending and straightening, held its reflex well.  I went to string it up today to finish up tillering and as I was warming it up I heard the dreaded TICK!

DAMN IT!  

I kept it at brace height and looked it over, sure enough it lifted a splinter right were I thought it might. at a bug damage hole. Anyway. here are some pics after I cut it up.

One limb:

The other:

Top of the cracked limb:

The bug damage that led to the crack!

Here I drew a line so you can tell better where the splinter is...

Well off to a new stave...  I can knock out a bow successfully if I am making one for me. But make one for somone who did me a favor and.... well this is my 2nd stave to not make it...

[Msturm]

In the past I have filled these holes with epoxy and rounded them out a bit on the edges and not had a problem with them... who knows. probably best to not use wood with a violated back to begin with....


Going to try to get some knife scales out of them or something...

 
Msturm

[Mad Max]

I don't know anything about that wood, but It looks like to me that the back needed to be smoothed out before bending.

Bummer

[Dan Landis]

Mike, I had one do the same thing for me a few weeks ago.  Sawed it in half, made a sleeve and a new bottom limb, now it's a two piece.  If you have a billet of the same wood, it's a way to salvage the bow.

[Msturm]

Yeah Max the back is a bit rough... the pieces may have been banged around on some things and swore at prior to the taking of this picture.   Im going to burn a section and see how the semi charred area works for knife scales..


Dan- I will keep that in mind for the next one!  this one has been used as giant drumsticks.

Msturm

[Pat B]

I had 2 guava staves that Manny sent me from Hawaii. One made a great bow, the other had quite a few of these small holes in it so I never did anything with it. I don't know if the holes came from Hawaii or originated here. I know a few other guys that had guava staves that had holes like these. They are small like powder post beetle holes.

[Msturm]

I am not sure if it happened while it was drying or if it was while the tree was still standing. I won't be using wood with holes in it any more!

[Roy from Pa]

Don't feel bad, I've cut a few up myself.

[YosemiteSam]

Dreadfully disappointing.  You have more self control than I to be using a saw to chop it.  Mine are usually met with some form of brute force and profanity.

[Roy from Pa]

No, say it isn't so.
LMFAO