Fixing checking in hickory?

[ALW]

I have a short hickory stave that I planned on attempting a recurve out of.  It's about 55-56" long.  I have flipped the tips (need to bend them a bit more) and I still need to take a little prop. twist out.  But my problem is a check in the handle right at a tiny pin knot.  It's dead in the center of the handle and showed up when I was drying it in my drying box.  It doesn't extend past the fades lengthwise, but on one end it goes all the way through the handle to the bottom side.  

    I hate to trash it since I've put some time into it and was going to try kind of a double fix on it.  Drill a hole near each end of the handle to put a hardwood dowel through.  Then heat the handle again to open up the crack a bit.  Fill the crack as best as I can with Superglue, and at the same time epoxy the dowels in.  Then clamp everything together.  Do you think with will work?  I may wrap the handle with some kind of twine soaked in epoxy when I'm finished.  If it doesn't explode!  Any thoughts?

Thanks.  Aaron

[Eric Krewson]

I think the dowels and epoxy would be a bad idea. Epoxy doesn't bend well and may turn loose.

If the crack is wide enough I would drip thin urac into it with a piece of tape on the belly to contain the urac until it won't hold any more then clamp the handle to let it cure. Urac flows really well because it has a long set up time.

If the crack is not 1/16" wide I would do the same as above with super glue.

The epoxy soaked thread wrap is a good idea for the handle. Probably unnecessary with hickory but good insurance.

[ALW]

Thanks Eric.  The reason I thought about using the dowels is this will be a stiff handle bow.  I figured with no movement there they would be OK.  This is my first attemt at a recurve and this piece of wood was left over from another project.  I was only going to shoot for about 40 pounds or so at about 24-26".  The crack is pretty thin, but when I put it in the drying box at about 105 degrees, it opens up a bit more.  I don't have any Urac so I will at least force in as much super glue as possible and clamp.

Again, thanks Eric.

[ALW]

By the way, I made a couple of the tiller devices you showed on the how to's.  The one with the 6" piece of wood and a nut to hold the pencil.  I haven't gotten a chance to use mine yet but I gave one to a buddy and he says it really helps find the flat spots.  Thanks.

Aaron

[Pat B]

I'd fill it with super glue and if it is big enough I'd do it in layers with fine sawdust and superglue. Be sure all voids are filled as you layer it.    Cheap and fast...and strong!   Pat

[ALW]

Thanks for the advice guys.  The crack is really narrow (hairline) but like I said, it really opened up when it did a stint in the drying box.  Even then it wasn't gapping open, but probably enough to really suck some super glue in.  If I can figure out the photobucket thing, I'll try to post some pictures.  But don't hold your breath!  LOL.....  

Aaron