giant crack advice (pics added)

[bowberry]

[LittleBen]

Yee-haw! That's a crack for sure!

Looks like you filled it up ... Guess you gotta just see what happens.

[mikkekeswick]

Have you not removed the sapwood?
Locust isn't normally prone to checking unless you peel the bark and leave the sapwood on. It's best to cut your tree split it and work down to the heartwood with a drawknife.

You have a chance with that drying check.

[bowberry]

Well, I'm not really an expert on what you call heart wood and sapwood. so I'm not sure. Under the bark layer there is a stringy fiberous layer.Under that is solid wood. I like it. Thats as far as I was going to go. Does that sound right?

[bowberry]

I ended up using some superglue first. after it was good and dry I filled the void with a two part clear epoxy. I did both of these with the bow strung at about half brace.

I guess I'll see what happens.

[Roy from Pa]

Hopefully it stays together for you.

[frank bullitt]

I would wrap that area with something like fast flight serving, fishing spider wire etc. The soak down with super glue. Rawhide wrap could also be used.

Sapwood is part of using a limb, sucker, sapling for a stave. Cracks, checks are also common stuff to deal with.

In 1990 Sonny Inman from Ohio let me shoot one of his limb bows and I was hooked! I've built, shot, mine and others, and hunted, killed with sapling bows!
And no you don't need overlays on locust bows!

[bowberry]

I too am hooked on sapling bows. There is something so natural about cutting a tree because you think it looks like a bow, and then cutting away every thing that is not a bow.

So far I have only used hand tool on this build.

I roughed it in with a hand ax. all the rest was done with a draw knife. Except the handle area, I cheated and used a rasp.

Scott

[John Scifres]

I would wrap it for sure.  Also, mark the end of the crack to see if it is growing as you work the bow.  You could also leave it a bit stiff in that area, sort of whip-tillered if you know what I mean.  Good luck.

[7 Lakes]

I'd wrap it also, it will slow down the sharp pointy pieces when/if she blows.

[Dan Landis]

The first shooter bow that I made was from a 1-1/4" dia. Black Locust sapling.  I peeled the bark right away, left the handle area full diameter round and flattened the limbs on the belly side and tied it to a 2x4 to dry.  When dry (1 yr. later) I tapered the sides and tillered it.  It took about 2" of set, but is still shooting.  It is 60# @ 28" and 65" long.  I would do as others have said, tiller as close as you can, then wrap it.