Is this bow toast? Or can it be saved?

[flntknp17]

Hey folks, I have a question for those with some experience in all wood laminated bows.  This one is osage with a Bamboo back and is currently 63# at 27" draw.  I was going to use it on a bear hunt last month, but as I was practicing I heard the "tick of doom".  

 

After much examination we found this little tension crack in the fade out area.  Not sure if the pic shows it well enough, but the crack is not in the glue line, but rather is actually entirely in the osage......as we have been told before good glue lines are stronger than wood. I marked it and it did not grow in about 30 subsequent shots, but it still made noise from time to time..........so here is the question:  If I were to fill it with thin CA glue and retiller the bow to 45-50 pounds would the bow be safe?  I really like the bow and I don't want to retire it.  The other thing I was thinking about is maybe making the retillered limbs more whip tillered so there is less movement near the fades........at the moment there is a fair amount of movement near the fades in accordance with tillering a R/D profile bow.  

 

Thoughts?

Thanks

Matt

p.s. please ingore the feet in the first pic!

[wingnut]

Matt,

Looks to me like the handle may be letting go.  Check your tiller, it should not be moving too close to the handle.

Should be able to get the limbs moving better and reglue the handle.

Mike

[Jeremy]

I'm with Mike.  There shouldn't be much movement at all close to the handle.

[the Ferret]

There is a lot of stress in that area when drawing the bow. I'd heat it, glue it and sinew wrap it. Don't know that you'd have to retiller or drop in weight. Also no guarantees it won't go even at 45-50#. No crystal ball for these things.

Matt you coming to Mojam this year?

[Killdeer]

Normally I just read and learn from these threads (eyes open..mouth shut!    ), but, dang, I wish I had perfect feet like that!

Killdeer  

[the Ferret]

Foot fetish Killy?  

[Killdeer]

No. Bunions.
Killdeer    

[the Ferret]

ROTFL  

[Killdeer]

       

[John Sturtevant]

Hey Matt, how did the bear hunt go?

I think Mike is right, and the handle is popping and will continue to do so.

If it were my bow, I’d cut the handle off, grind it flat and glue on another….and retiller if needed.
Not a big deal, have been thru it before.  Be glad to help you do it if that’s the route you decide to go.  
Shoes are optional in my shop.  

John

[Brent Rudolph]

You guys got better eyes than me. Which toenail was cracked again?

[Eric Krewson]

I would take the handle off, fill any crack in the core with super glue and glue on a very thin strip of osage over the crack and into the fade. I would add another thin strip over the first then glue the handle back on. Thin strips flex better than one solid piece so this should stabilize your handle. with urac almost any repair is possible.

Here I was fixing a bad place in the side of a stave.

 

The end result of lots of patching.

 

[fflintlock]

I have an old Indian Archery lemonwood bow that the handle is comming apart, just like this one. What kind of glue do ya'll use ?
 I'd like to save the bow, if I can, so my grandson can shoot it.
Thanks,
Jerald

[Eric Krewson]

I use urac-185 for all my bow work, mighty tough glue.

[fflintlock]

Thanks Eric, I guess that would be someting I'd have to order from a bow building supplies store, or ?
Jerald

[flntknp17]

Thanks guys!  John, I may take you up on the offer as I would like to hunt with this bow this fall.  

The bear hunt went well.  I shot a bear of around 400 pounds that squared 7'4" with a 19 1/8" skull.  Didn't get to use the stone points since I couldn't use this bow......next time hopefully!