Author Topic: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?  (Read 569 times)

Offline str8sh2ter

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 163
My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« on: April 20, 2009, 10:53:00 AM »
Well ,you may have seen this bow for sale a month or so ago.I hated to see it go but wanted to start the next build.i sure didn't want it to come back like this.
  Eric was stringing it up with a stringer and heard a crack!.you can see from the pictures that it cracked vertically down from the corner of the shelf.More on the belly side but through to the back side.
 I'm wondering if it's saveable?I can still string it up without effecting the crack at all.It's amazing that it would crack this way ,through all the laminations,yet still be stable when strung.I assume I designed a flaw into it .I'm new at building and feel obligated to make it right with him.I highlighted the cracks in blue.They are just to the right of the blue lines.
 I'm thinking of carefully spreading and pouring SuperGlue into the crack as is often suggested on here.Should I install some dowel pins horizontally through the side into the meaty part of the shelf also? Is it better off as a wall hanger/pattern for future bows?I forgot to mention that the main wood is Chechen,The stripe is Maple with C.A.Rosewood accents.Is Chechen known ato be alittle unstable in risers?
  Any other suggestions or design obsevations?Should I beef up the wrist/shelf area?Thanks

   

   

   

Offline kurtbel5

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 905
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2009, 11:42:00 AM »
Wow Paul,
What a bummer
Thats a beauty!
What is the draw weight?
My vote is for pin's, and lighten the draw weight, if its a heavy #
           Kurt

Offline str8sh2ter

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 163
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2009, 11:58:00 AM »
it's only 52#.would you use wood pins or metal or nylon or what?

Offline Eric Krewson

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 3126
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2009, 01:57:00 PM »
I would tape the crack on the sides so the super glue can't run out and fill the crack in the shelf until it won't hold any more. Next I would put some clamp pads on either side of the riser and press the crack back closed, mopping up the super glue that squeezed out of the shelf as I tightened the clamps. Let it set up and it should be a strong repair.

I like to tap the side of an object I am repairing with something solid( I use a screwdriver handle) as I add glue to let the glue settle into all the recesses and bring the air bubbles to the surface.

I am not a big fan of pins, dowels and such. A good glue joint is strong enough.

Offline str8sh2ter

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 163
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2009, 02:00:00 PM »
thanks Eric.i did just that today and I'm letting it cure for  awhile.We'll see.The crack closed up surprisingly good.You really have to look to see it now.Paul

Offline kodiakkid

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 246
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2009, 05:06:00 PM »
I was told buy a friend of mine that builds fiberglass bows that you should always round the corner area where the shelf is cut in. He kinda rounds it down and away from the shelf a bit to the left. He had one to break just like yours did. After looking it over good he realized he had forgot to round the corner. He uses the same file that he cuts his string grooves with. Doesn't do it a lot just rounds that corner out a bit where the shelf meets the side of the bow.  Hope this helps.  Paul<><
Always strive to do the right thing. Don't beat yourself down when you mess up. Ask for forgivness and keep on keeping on.

Offline TomMcDonald

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 670
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2009, 06:54:00 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by kodiakkid:
I was told buy a friend of mine that builds fiberglass bows that you should always round the corner area where the shelf is cut in. He kinda rounds it down and away from the shelf a bit to the left. He had one to break just like yours did. After looking it over good he realized he had forgot to round the corner. He uses the same file that he cuts his string grooves with. Doesn't do it a lot just rounds that corner out a bit where the shelf meets the side of the bow.  Hope this helps.  Paul<><
Which side?

Offline str8sh2ter

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 163
Re: My favorite bow comes home ;cracked. Can i fix it?
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2009, 07:25:00 PM »
you're referring to the bottom inside corner where the crack starts ,right?I was thinking athat i should have done the same thing .I'll be radiusing that inside corner on the next one for sure.thanks for the info.

Users currently browsing this topic:

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
 

Contact Us | Trad Gang.com © | User Agreement

Copyright 2003 thru 2024 ~ Trad Gang.com ©