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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: JJACOBS on October 25, 2011, 06:44:00 PM

Title: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 25, 2011, 06:44:00 PM
NO PICS OVER 640 PIXELS, Thanks.

I found this after shooting the other day. I think it is a stress crack.  What if anything can I do to fix it?  I already tried to fill it will super glue.  It did not seem to work.  What do u guys think caused it?
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: Blkbird on October 25, 2011, 06:58:00 PM
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: jsweka on October 25, 2011, 07:04:00 PM
In the first pic, it looks like it is completely through the thickness of the fiberglass and is starting to delaminate from the wood core.  If that is the case I don't think there is anything you can do about it and you may have to retire that bow.  I certainly wouldn't want to shoot it that way.  Maybe someone with more bow building experience than me will be along with an idea for fixing it.
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 25, 2011, 07:51:00 PM
What may have caused it?  I used mahogany as lams with a hickory core.  It is in the riser fadeout area
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: jsweka on October 25, 2011, 09:02:00 PM
What does the lam underneath the glass look like?  Is it cracked?  I've heard mahogany isn't a good bow wood, so your lam under the glass may be failing in compression causing a "hinge" at the end of the fadeout and thus cracking the glass. -Just one man's theory.
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 25, 2011, 09:15:00 PM
The lam underneath is cracked, small right now.  Only visible when strung.  I wonder if putting super glue in it strung allowing it to seep down in the crack, then unstringing it would be enough to hold it together.
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: jsweka on October 25, 2011, 10:36:00 PM
If the lam under glass is also cracked, I'd say your bow is done for. Even if you did super glue it, the end of the fadeout is a very critical area and I simply wouldn't trust it.  Not worth having it totally fail on you when strung.

Look at it this way - you have an excuse to make another bow.  I'd just stay away from mahogany as a lam material.
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: Crooked Stic on October 25, 2011, 10:39:00 PM
It looks like you got something about straight across from that also. My guess is the core is failing. If you cant get it to take glue--retire it.
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 25, 2011, 11:00:00 PM
Yeah that was a splinter that formed a few months back that I repaired using super glue.  It seems to me that my core wood is failing, and the splinter was the start
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 26, 2011, 03:26:00 PM
Anyone else have any suggestions?
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: Blkbird on October 26, 2011, 07:24:00 PM
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: Tom Leemans on October 27, 2011, 10:50:00 AM
It won't last
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: jvermast on October 27, 2011, 11:29:00 AM
Here's my advice - string it up, hang it on the wall and never touch it again.

If you try to shoot it you're only going to ruin it beyond the point of it even being a nice piece of decoration (which is all it is at this point).
Title: Re: Is this a stress crack?
Post by: JJACOBS on October 27, 2011, 11:48:00 AM
Sorry about the pic size mods.  I read the rules, just didn't occur to me to check them