Hinge

[wood carver 2]

I did some work on Plan D today, trying to eliminate a hinge that has formed about 7 inches from the upper limb tip. I was careless while sanding to profile and made a small indent on one edge. This I think caused the weak spot. today I carefully removed wood from the limb edges and staightened out the little dent, but the hinge remains.   :(  
There are no apparent fault remaining in the limb, and I was careful to not bend it much after seeing the hinge so I'm at a loss as to how to fix it. This bows' tips are bending a bit too much, so I was going to add 8 inch tapered underlays to stiffen them up, but I'm worried that this might make the hinge worse.
Any ideas on how to fix this would be much appreciated.
Specs are as follows: bamboo/ hickory/ bamboo tri-lam. 65 1/2" tip to tip, 64 1/2" NTN, 1 3/8" at fades, 1/2" tips and 3/4" at the hinge area.
I have not got it to brace height yet because I don't want to bend the weak spot too much.
Thanks.
Dave.

[SportHunter]

Can you post photos. Don't touch areas that are bending too much and remove wood from stiff areas that are bending too little. You say you have a hinge so remove wood from the stronger sections of wood that are overpowering the weak hinge spot.

[KellyG]

Give the pros some pics carver and I bet if there is a fix someone will chime in.

[Roy from Pa]

Hinges are like scars, they don't normally go away. The damage has already been done internally inside the limb. To get rid of it, you would have to take a lot of wood off the rest of the limb to make the rest of the limb as weak as your hinge area is, and there goes your target weight. But once you do get a nice tiller, you could add a belly lam to bring the weight back up.

[wood carver 2]

I'll post a picture tomorrow. Roy, would it be ok to add a 4th. lam to the belly? I could add a thin strip of bamboo if it would help.
I have more questions, but I'll wait until I post a picture first.
Dave.

[Roy Steele]

Hindges are crushed wood cells if it's bad enough to cyristialize. You put to much pressure on this area while tillering. The only thing can be done is tiller on pass it. Don't remove any more wood of the hidge untill its gone. But if it's deep and tilling past it uselly makes your bow to light. If this happens I'd sinew by to the weight I want.
 If you add under lays it will make the tips stiffer putting more pressure on the hidge. I would'nt do that.

[wood carver 2]

Ok, here are some pictures. The upper limb is on the right and I made a dark spot where the hinge is. (not that it's hard to see)    
 
 
 
 
In the picture with the braced profile, that's the highest brace I've got it to.
This bow is still over weight, so what if I were to narrow the whole thing so it's 1 1/4" at the fades and tapers to 3/8" at the tips? Can it be saved? Would a 1/16" extra belly lam help?
Dave.

[OzarkMatt]

WC, could you post a pic from the top looking down at the hinge area? If you want to narrow it because of a nick in the side, that would probably work. If it's not in the side though, you'll have to just take wood off the stiffer sections.

[wood carver 2]

Matt, I already removed the nick. I straightened out the area with a block plane and rasp, but the hinge is still there. There isn't much material to remove on the belly and the back is 3/32" thick natural bamboo, so I can't sand there. That's why I was thinking of narrowing the whole bow to get the rest of the limbs working more.
Dave.

[OzarkMatt]

I think what I would do if I were you is measure how far from the end the hinge is, then sand and thin the bow almost up to that mark on both sides and ends, leaving your tips and the hinge alone. You can thin the tips later from the belly side.