Bamboo issue, splinter.

[ffdiggs]

So I'm helping my buddy and his Son make a couple of tri-lams and his sons bow is ready to be sanded and finished but I wanted to check the tiller one more time and we got to 28" draw and raised a splinter. I super glued it down, will that be enough?

[Roy from Pa]

I doubt it.

I would also wrap it with serving string and soak it with thin super glue.

Wrap a half inch past each end of splinter.

[ffdiggs]

Roy what do you think about a backing? I was thinking a thin rawhide and snake skin.

[BMorv]

That’s a little odd.  I’ve had them splinter on the sides where the boo got too thin but never in the middle like that.  You didn’t go to far with taking the rind off?

[ffdiggs]

Bmorv, no the bamboo is an easy 1/8" thick. I don't know if it was a flaw in the boo or maybe the young man scraping the rind off gouged it. Nothing was noticeable prior to it splintering.

[Roy from Pa]

I've had boo splinter like that a few times.

The rind Ben is referring to is the thin waxy layer on the back there. If that's taken down too far, a splinter is possible. It's hard to tell from the picture how far it was removed. It doesn't look like it was taken down too far.

Is that moso bamboo? I used to use moso but after many splinters such as that one there, I switched to Madake bamboo and have never had a splinter since.

Yes a thin rawhide backing will work and skins are cool, but not cheap.

[Eric Krewson]

I would grind off the bamboo on a belt sander and add a new piece if you want to really have a dependable bow, I have done it several times. I won't try to repair a splinter that big.

I grind off the old bamboo to just above the glue line so there is a lam of the old bamboo to glue to.

[BMorv]

I'm with Eric on this one.  I would replace the bamboo.  That splinter would always be in the back my mind.
 
I did it a couple months ago and it really wasn't bad.  I used a sharp spokeshave and was able to take it right to the glue line.

[Roy from Pa]

Ya Eric could be right.

I've done it too but it's was a pain cause I used a belt sander.

Talk about dusty...

[Eric Krewson]

I have a dust collector on my belt sander.  When I do one of these heavy bamboo sanding jobs the bamboo fibers invariably stop up the hose to my dust collector, right at the entry of the collector fan. Most of the time the fibers hang up on the ground wire in the 4" pipe.

[ffdiggs]

Roy I get the bamboo from echo archery, never had an issue with it before. Where do you get the bamboo you use? Ugh the thought of grinding it off does not sound fun. I will have to give the kid making it both options and see what he wants to do. Now I'm worried the one his dad is making my do the same.

[ffdiggs]

Here it is after super gluing. The splinter is in the area between the pencil lines

[Roy from Pa]

There have been many bows made with moso bamboo.

Splinters are just the nature of the beast.

Was the tiller very good on it?

Check your PM..

[ffdiggs]

The tiller was good, it was drawing just under 60lbs,