Any ideas what happened?

[yote20]

I have no ideas on this one. Never seen one crack like this. Was in the tillering process hadn't even made it to brace height.

[Mad Max]

Starved glue joint

[yote20]

Wasn't glued. Sorry I forgot to say it's from an oak board.

[Pat B]

Looks like wind shake where the wood separates between growth rings generally due to wind twisting the tree causing the ring separation. I've seen it plenty in staves but never seen it in a board.

[Kirkll]

It has something to do with wood…. I’d say do to the amount of pressure put on it trying to bend it, the wood split… time to try another board…. or better yet try some laminated glass backed bows… way less time and materials wasted.

I just don’t know how you guys stand it putting all that time and effort into a piece of wood knowing eventually it’s going to blow up or come apart.  How do you stand it?

[dbeaver]

Kirk I'm not so far but I've broken 5 selfbows to get to the one good one I've finished.  I would liken it to why I enjoy super hot sauna, or my old dock building gig.  Type B fun.

As for the broken bow I X2 on wind shake, I have harvested sycamore that had wind shake and it pops a super long length right along the grain.  One piece the heart wood came out as a cylinderwhen I split it,  single grain all the way around.

[Kirkll]

Hey! I was just razzing you a bit.. nothing serious. If you are enjoying the challenge and have a wood stove to burn the scraps, have fun by all means.

I have built a few board bows over the years. Most of them were ultra light for kids,and they held up for awhile. But I quit doing it a long time ago. Glass limb bows are just much more robust and can take considerable abuse. Especially youth bows… they are better using glass, and safer.

I have an Osage stave I got about 12 years ago I chased the rings on, and am almost ready to start the floor tillering process on. But I always end up putting it back on the shelf instead of finishing it…. It had a pretty good left right bend in the limb tip on one end that I straightened with steam and heat, and the stave has a pretty natural reflex to it than can most likely be balanced out in the tillering process…but… I just haven’t had the urge to finish it yet.

Have fun my friend…..

[yote20]

Thanks guys.  I didn't think it was something I was doing this time.  I've got one piece of board left. I've laid it out like a true pyramid bow this time so we'll see. I feel like this last one is the closest I've been yet.