Hairline cracks on belly of boardbow T_T

[Ookami]

Hi guys xD, finally got my first red oak boardbow nearly finished.. tillered and all, just need to do some tip overlays, nock it, and finish up the riser.. anyway to the matter at hand.. a few minutes ago I was messing with the bow a bit.. after I destrung it I noticed some weird hairline cracks on the belly of the bow, kind of freaking me out...  Please tell it's no cause for alarm T_T

 

This is the worst section that I've noticed... the rest of the bow isn't nearly as bad.

[vanillabear?]

[Ookami]

I should probably also note that it's 66" 35# @ 27" (an estimate as I haven't weighed the bow yet)

and mmm Chrysals? T_T

[Ookami]

-sigh- I'll start looking for another board tomorrow, I'd rather chock this one up as a good learning experience than to have it blow up on me  :p , going to go for a bit wider bow, and increase the working section by tillering closer to the tips next time. Thanks for the help =].

[lad]

has anyone corrected that issue with glass front and back?

[SportHunter]

I suggest you move on to better bow woods. Red oak is good to learn on but there are much better bow woods. Hickory, Osage, hackberry, etc. good luck on your next one.

[Buxndiverdux]

It happened to me as well on my first BBH and I have shot it a bunch of times and killed 4 deer with it. So it might not be a total loss if you finish it. Good luck. I'd start another one either way.  

[LittleBen]

As to the glass front and back, I only make wood bows but I've never heard of that. It would require you to thin the limbs down very precisely and to a thickness of maybe 1/4" or less before applying the glass. In short, probably not worth it. It's probably more conceivable to retiller to a lower draw weight, then add a belly lam of a decent compression wood. Then start praying your red oak doesnt fail in tension.

If this were a hickory bow I think the options for laminating your way out would be greater.

[4est trekker]

Sorry to see that, fella.  Get ya another board and get cracking.  Be sure to use a tillering gizmo early in the game to help prevent that.  Here's a link:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001047

I will agree there are other woods better suited to wooden bow making, osage being the top of my list.  However, I've built dozens of red oak bows, and it makes a fine bow.  Yes, you can easily turn to other woods at this point, but you'll have learned less in the process than if you go right out and grab another piece of oak and give it a second go.  My first two red oak bows fretted.  I've haven't had a bow fret since...regardless of the wood.  I learned a lot about basic wooden bow design, and all it cost me was a few trips to the lumber yards and $20 in lumber.  You'll "fret" a lot more making such mistakes on an expensive stave or, worse yet in my opinion, one that you cut and season yourself over the course of months or years.

Make your next one long and wide (like 68-70" long and 2.5" at the fades) and consider a pyramid design.  They're great for learning how to tiller with minimal fuss and are proven shooters.  Here's such an example from red oak that a buddy of mine has successful hunted with for several seasons.  It's a prettier version of the highly overbuilt bow I did a buildalong for here some years ago.  Click below for that link:

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064;p=1

 

 

 

 

[Ookami]

=] I actually followed your build along 4est(gizmo included), granted I changed the design quite a bit due to personal preference... only 2" wide...  waited too long after the fade to transition into working limb, and also didn't go far enough into the tips. looking at how yours bends compared to mine... huge difference... also had a hinge develop right off the bat.. In addition on the tillering tree I failed to account for the brace height in my measurements so I probably ended up overdrawing it a bit as well >.>...

I didn't know anything about frets at the time (should have read TBB cover to cover, and followed your sweet guide more closely).  Thanks for all you guys advice =] I'll most certainly make some changes on the next one.

[k-hat]

I second 4est on that.  Red Oak is a GREAT trainer BECAUSE it's sensitive!  My first few were red oak, and only one fretted because i overstressed it.  I credit my red oak experience for teaching me to carefully tiller.  If you can tiller a good red oak bow without frets, then you can tiller any wood out there successfully.  Pyramid 2"-2.5" wide to 3/8" tips is plenty wide for red oak, provided all else is done correctly. 66" long (ntn) should be fine provided your grip area is 8" (including fades) and just last few inches of tips are stiff but not too stiff.  

Now get after it   :D  

I wonder how many bowyers 4est has helped get on track with the addiction?  Gotta be a bunch of'em!!! (us   )

[k-hat]

Oh, 4est i meant also to say i LOVE that bow.  No second class bow wood there!

[PEARL DRUMS]

Kevin thats like saying bald tires are great trainers to learn winter driving! Come on man!

[k-hat]

Uh, that IS how i learned winter driving... you didn't?  Lol  At least i didn't say it's better than sage     Seriously though... I learned to shoot with a .22 and a .410 before my Dad ever put the 12 gauge in my hands (except to let me learn how a 12 gauge knocks over an 8 year old boy   ).  I think there's a similar principle here.

At least making a red oak bow is SAFER (and cheaper) than driving bald tires on ice/snow  

[4est trekker]

Bald tires do not equate to red oak.  It's more akin to learning to drive a stick shift before getting behind the wheel of a manual.  Learning the former helps you better understand the mechanics of the latter.  

Let me rephrase what I (and k-hat) said above...just how many guys has either the stash or the cash of quality staves lying around when they get the itching to learn bow building?  Not many, and I certainly wasn't one.  Further, dumping $75 plus on your first stave without first understanding the nuances of tillering just isn't something most of us have the luxury to do.  I'm certainly not offended, so don't misunderstand.  I'm just a little weary of people constantly steering new guys away from board bows and red oak because they're "inferior."  It's available, it's comparatively cheap, it'll teach you the ropes, and it makes a fine bow when handled properly.

[SportHunter]

I only recommeded him to better bow woods as I'm sure he's learned quite a bit of the first red oak. Red oak is good to start with especially at first due to its low cost and as others mentioned its teaching abilities i.e. sensitivity.

If the materials are better grade then the builder may take more care in the production and finish work. Additionally the builder has a better chance of producing a superior quality bow with woods that would allow a little more room for error. I'm sure anyone starting out could appreciate better chances at producing a fine bow rather than nicely carved firewood.

[k-hat]

Originally posted by 4est trekker:
Bald tires do not equate to red oak.  It's more akin to learning to drive a stick shift before getting behind the wheel of a manual.  Learning the former helps you better understand the mechanics of the latter.  

Let me rephrase what I (and k-hat) said above...just how many guys has either the stash or the cash of quality staves lying around when they get the itching to learn bow building?  Not many, and I certainly wasn't one.  Further, dumping $75 plus on your first stave without first understanding the nuances of tillering just isn't something most of us have the luxury to do.  I'm certainly not offended, so don't misunderstand.  I'm just a little weary of people constantly steering new guys away from board bows and red oak because they're "inferior."  It's available, it's comparatively cheap, it'll teach you the ropes, and it makes a fine bow when handled properly.

[Ookami]

I went 10" on grip (including fades)  :p  just didn't get enough of the bow limb working... I went ahead and shot a few makeshift arrows with the bow and properly weighed it (44# @ 28").. my first time shooting a trad bow... pretty freakin' cool =] most certainly prefer trad over compound... do believe I had more fun just shooting it straight up at 1/4 draw than actually aiming (partly because I didn't wanna take a crouch shot via broken limb). Looked for a board at lowes today... didn't see any suitable.. granted they only had about 5 boards -.-

 


Still have makeshift nocks on it... need to find a place that sells hardwoods to get tip-overlay material  :p

[k-hat]

Yup, nothin like the first time    

Great job for your first, frets or not!  She's pretty and has a nice profile, and 44# for a first bow is VERY respectable.  Full draw shot would be nice, but the brace pic looks pretty good tiller wise.  I say well done, getr done, and on to the next!

[Ookami]

It was pulling a heck of a lot more before I removed that hinge... I probably underestimated the draw weight and pulled it to full draw on tillering tree at 80lb or more >.> damage could have been caused then... now that i actually know what 45#-ish feels like I wont make that mistake again =].

 

Had my sister's bf take the photo, he has work soon so was in a bit of a rush... didn't realize I had the bow upside down -.- hence my hand placement on the grip.

and...damn... I really don't have an ass.