Damaged limb?

[Jethro21]

I was shooting today and heard a little bit of a crack sound. Looking over the bow, there was a piece of the surface laminate cracked on the upper limb of the bow. It is just the surface, but is probably 1/4in long and I can lift it with my finger......I assume this just cosmetic damage more than anything, right? What causes this? I have noticed alot of hand shock when I shoot the bow, it almost feels like the limbs are vibrating. The only thing I can think of (and I have no experience with recurves to speak of) is maybe my arrows are too light and thats the problem?

Any ideas? I tried to get pics of it but I am as adept at cameras as I am at bows I guess.

[Jethro21]

No help for me at all?

[redant 60/65]

Jethro I don't know what type of bow you have, and it's late for a lot of guy's on the East coast.
There's are a lot of thing's to think about how old is the bow, and what is your braces height.

[fowlarcher]

We can't see it so we can only guess. If by 'surface laminate' you mean the glass, I suggest you squeegee some epoxy into it with a razorblade. See if that works. If not you're gonna get a new bow(!).

Be careful. If after you try a repair and you don't trust it, don't shoot it.

Yes, heavier arrows are quieter and easier on a bow and the speed and trajectory difference is really very little within hunting ranges.

[Jethro21]

Guys, could this be a precursor to the limb exploding on me if I keep shooting the bow? also, the bow is 60" 50@28 and I am drawing to 31, possible the limbs are overstressed?

[fowlarcher]

If you're not able to post pictures you are going to have to assess the damage yourself. I can't tell if your saying the clear finish on the bow is coming off or the fiberglass lamination is delaminating.
redant mentioned brace height. If there is way to much brace ht. your bow could make excessive noise and vibration. In case you don't know, brace ht. is measured from the string to the deepest part of the handle. If there is more than 8" there try taking a few twists out of your string and see if it shoots quieter.
While a 31" draw is a lot for a 60" bow I don't think it is way too much. I've shot a grazillion arrows out of a 57" bow at 28" without trouble. Good luck and be careful. If you find you do need a new bow, consider getting one 62" or 64". It'll work better for your long draw.

[Danny Rowan]

What kind of bow, who made it? How old is it? If the glass is cracked do not shoot it again it may explode on you. Brace too low or too high will cause the handshock and vibs. Also if shooting very light wt arrows. We really need to see pics of the damage and entire bow.

Danny

[Cherokee Scout]

If it is a glass bow and the glass has cracked, you better hang it on the wall. If it breaks, you could be seriously hurt, lose and eye etc. Not worth the risk.

[Ben Woodring]

It's only a matter of time for catastrophic failure now

[Pointer]

Yes Jethro....the bow will eventually fail. I also draw 31" and 60" is too short for us in all but a few bows that are designed for it. Mostly those with the handle forward like an old Super Kodiak.Even with my Super k I can tell it has hit the wall when I get to full draw. I had a bow blow up on me and it is no fun. Fractured finger, lacerations on my chest from the string. You may be able to epoxy it but I think the bow is too short for your draw. I use only 62" and 64" these days. Good Luck

[Jethro21]

Thanks for the replies. I will try to get some pics up tomorrow if I can figure out how to do it (I am dumb)

[Jethro21]

[Jethro21]

[Jethro21]

[fowlarcher]

Jeth, That's minimal. Break it off at the very bottom of the sliver and cover it with a touch up of epoxy.
Did you figure out why it's loud? Can you weigh your arrows? Check brace ht.
Dig that green glass. Tried to get some...can't.
Fix that bow and shoot it, it's a good one.

[blueline]

What's the lattest? Is it shooting again??

blueline

[Jethro21]

I shot it today. I checked the brace height, it was just under 8", I fiddled it around to about 7 1/2, very little hand shock and minimal noise. also stopped the occasional string slapping. Also, the arrows are cx maxima 250, 31" and are right around 430gr. I know they are probably too light, I have some new ones on the way right now that are around 525gr.

I thought about just breaking off the peice, but the bow isn't mine and I didn't want to cause anymore damage. I do feel more at ease to shoot it though.

[mmgrode]

Do not shoot 430 gr arrows through that bow! That is under the 8 grain/pound draw safety margin assuming you gain another 9 lbs for the extra 3" draw.  The 525 gr arrows will do, but you may look to add some weight to those also.  It will make the bow quieter with less handshock. Matt

[amar911]

Use Super Glue and glue it back into place. You can always break it off later if the Super Glue doesn't work.

[fowlarcher]

Yeah, gluing it back down is a good idea if you can do a neat job of it, but superglue is not a good, permanent glue for anything. Use epoxy.