Wasn't meant to be Osage Bow Break

[bigcountry]

Help me understand how this bow broke tonight.  I heard the tell tale tick last week.  I hoped it was just the sinew breaking under the snake skin.  Its cracking right at the handle.  I think the shelf shouldn't have cut into the handle so much.  I bought it a few months ago on here.  

Oh well, I am building my own next week at the balt trad classic.  I would like to avoid this mistake if possible.        

    http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn73/bigcountry_ky/OsageBow/    

Its in an album called osagebow
     

     

     

[Osagetree]

Bigcountry, IMO it appears that the bow could have been overdrawn at one point?? But, maybe not! Sometimes its just the wood. I don't think the shelf cut had anything to do with it.
It is truley a shame that it has cracked. It is a nice looking piece! Even a seasoned bowyer can not forsee something like that comeing.
If it were mine I would give it a sinew wrap fix. Look around on here I am sure there is a how to somewhere's.

[bigcountry]

I might have drawn it to 30" once or so.  I figured a 66" bow like this could handle it however.  It doesn't stack one bit (or didn't).

Osagetree, do you think a person with some skill could plain the grip area down to the growth rings that run the entire length and glue on another handle, and rasp it down to match?  

The crack doesn't appear to cause any "back" problems.

[Eric Krewson]

Two things you can do to fix this bow.

You can cut the handle off and build it back up with thin strips tapered finely so they will flex with the bow and not turn loose. You will still have part of the shelf cut out to deal with.

       

Here is how to fill the cut out with some exotic wood. After you have the handle built back up cut a notch in where the shelf was cut in and fill it with a carefully fitted piece of wood. This piece of osage burl is thinner than it appears in the picture, maybe 1/4". I shaped an arrow rest out of the inlay. Everything below the rest will be covered with leather.

       

I am a Urac fan and wouldn't do the above fix with any other glue.


The easiest fix is a to super glue the crack (super glue the crack with bow unstrung and string the bow to close the crack while the glue dries), wrap the area with sinew soaked in TB 2or 3 and follow with a thread wrap to make it stronger and neat looking. I used regular bow string serving material for the wrap and soaked the thread with superglue after I completed the wrap.

   

"G" made the bow, did a wonderful job but the handle popped off and he wanted the bow shortened to raise the poundage. I found a ominous crack across two pins on the back when I stripped off the finish and decided a super glue, sinew, thread wrap would be good insurance for the bow's future.

[bigcountry]

Thanks Eric, isn't this an odd place for a crack?  I am going to remove the leather wrap and make sure the back is not cracked underneith. I have a feeling thier is a big knot under that leather wrap.  I want to try it the first way you describe.  I was thinking if the growth rings are in good shape under the handle, just tiller it down to a 30lb bow for my wife or son.

Hey, if it doesn't work all I am out is time and gained a story to tell.

Thanks for the detail.

[Eric Krewson]

Not an uncommon place for a crack I have seen several much worse than yours.

I doubt if it goes under the handle.

A friend of mine had a similar crack in his BBO but it went almost all the way to the bamboo and into the handle. He made a super glue, sinew, thread wrap patch over the crack and has been shooting the bow ever since, no problems.

[bigcountry]

Eric, you have been more than helpful.  I really appreciate it.  Here is what I decided.  I think I am goin to try the thread wrap.  I think I will just use heavy serving material. Unless you suggest something more tougher and durable.  You said string material.  Maybe that would be stronger.

But why are you guys using sinew underneath?  The back already has sinew supposely.  Just little more strength?

[Eric Krewson]

On the patch in the above picture I roughed up a 1" section over the crack and laid the sinew and glue across the crack not around the bow. When the glue dried it was like adding a hard wood overlay on the crack that conformed to the wood. I wrapped the bow with a piece of tee shirt to smooth the sinew out out while it dried.

For the crack to open again it will have to break loose the super glue that I filled the crack with, pull the sinew loose and break the super glue soaked thread, pretty near impossible.