Hey guys..
I've had so many bows crack, break, blow up on me lately to has made me a bit draw shy.
At this point, I'm borrowing a proven older Bear recurve for a while.
I can't seem to get over this expectation of it going on me at full draw.
Anyway, I seem to have lost all confidence in bows in general.
Before I broke a few, I really never even thought about it..just pulled em back, held it till it felt right and let er go.
This problem is really stealing my concentration.
Any tricks you'd like to pass on for getting over the fear of a "break-up" lol?
My only thought is to shoot a lot and hopefully get over it..lol
Quit breakin um! d;^)
Do you know why they are breaking? Study those breaks and try to learn something from them.
Make them right and they will stay together.. :)
fiberglass helps :laughing:
Every time I start getting a desire to build all wood bows, I read a thread like this.
I'm new to the game, maybe 15 under my belt. Just for laughs I built a 3 piece from a pair of skis, just because, will it ever break, I doubt it. The bow is a total slug. limbs to heavy, but it shoots where I point it, its a center shot 15" riser.
Most wood bows I build now have backing, just like using diapers for a 3 year old, just in case.
jsweka you are to funny, the biggest chuckle I had all day. Good stuff. :biglaugh:
Just because wood bows are simple doesn't mean they are easy. Like everything else, if they are not made properly there is a good chance they will break. Same with FG bows. I've only built one glass bow and it blew up before I ever got a string on it. I still have the bow and I know why it broke. If I ever make another(which I doubt) I'll know better what to do right.
Have you actually studied the breaks to see why? If you learn from your mistakes they are not failures.
Glass didn't help this bow that Soy built for the bow trade.
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j380/thadsoy/IMG_20140510_243441_285.jpg
If you can build with Lego's, you can build a glass bow.. :) LOL
Wear saftey glasses for the first 100 shots from a new bow. Protecting my eyes gives me confidence.
Guess I'm a little dense, I just grab another one and start shooting and any fear goes away after releasing a few arrows.
The only trick I've found is to make sure you are in a really quiet place when shooting in a new bow. I depend more on my ears than anything else. I listen while I draw, and then I hold at full draw and listen. Then I listen very intently as I release the string. I use beaver or otter string silencers to kill the vibration noise of the string so I can hear the wood. If you're listening, the bow will tell you before it breaks. If you listen, you won't have one blow up up you. Just stop and let it down any time your hear a faint crack or any popping. I also inspect the bow after every 3 or 4 shots until I get to 250. Once I'm past 250 shots, with no noise or visible fissures, I feel pretty safe that's it's a shooter.
Hope this helps.
Are you using a tiller tree while making your bows and are you exercising the bow after each wood removal?
To find any unseen splinters wipe the entire bow with a cotton ball, braced and unbraced. The least little splinter will grab the cotton.
Pat, thats a nice tip, thanks !
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B.:
Pat, thats a nice tip, thanks !
X2. I've been just usin my finger as a splinter tester but the cotton is a great idea
I'm with you there, John. Tough to concentrate and draw it all the way to your anchor point if you're worrying about the bow breaking. I've only had one raise a splinter while I was drawing it back and it made a faint "tick" sound. I had about 40 arrows thru it. I CA glued it down, but it still worried me so I glued cherry bark over the entire back. So far so good, and I'm with Mike in that listening closely is a good idea. I also check the back and belly every few arrows when I'm shooting one for the first time. I like Pat's idea of using a cotton ball and per Al, I'm going to buy safety glasses. Come to think of it, I have an old catcher's mask and chest protector around here somewhere, but I guess I'd have to change my anchor then. ;)
Not my idea but I'll take the credit. d;^)
all good ideas guys thanks.
I do use safety glasses for a few shots.
The cotton ball is a cool idea.
My prob is most the bows have broke after a few hundred shots.
I really appreciate the help.
"My experience is if the back is in fine shape on a bow after several hundred shots, it will remain in fine shape indefinitely."
-Paul Comstock from TBB1
That gives me a lot of comfort. Really hope he's right. :)
QuoteOriginally posted by takefive:
"My experience is if the back is in fine shape on a bow after several hundred shots, it will remain in fine shape indefinitely."
-Paul Comstock from TBB1
That gives me a lot of comfort. Really hope he's right. :)
What if it lifts a splinter after 75 shots or develops a serious crack that cannot be fixed.
I usually back the bow now, I may give it away in the future and this is added insurance that it won't explode in my face or someone else. Nothing wrong with backing..! But then again I'm making board & laminate bows. OK I'm just been a Scaredy Cat...!!! :eek:
If I ever build a nice Selfbow I can see how it could be a shame to cover it up.
This bow had at least 1000 shots through it when it went kerblooy! It was osage backed with deer rawhide and decorative tissue paper covering. This is one of the few bows I've had blow up. I have made many badly bent bows over the years but very few broke.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/ShereKhanbroke001.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/ShereKhanbroke001.jpg.html)
So Pat, after 1000 shots would you say that the limbs just wore out or was there another reason for the failure?
Hmmm...Guess you can never say never when it comes to bows. I've heard that even the name brand glass ones break sometimes. Gonna pick up some safety goggles this week.
It was slightly over drawn, Mike. An old archery adage..."a bow fully drawn is 9/10ths broken".
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
It was slightly over drawn, Mike. An old archery adage..."a bow fully drawn is 9/10ths broken".
Gotcha.
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
This bow had at least 1000 shots through it when it went kerblooy! It was osage backed with deer rawhide and decorative tissue paper covering. This is one of the few bows I've had blow up. I have made many badly bent bows over the years but very few broke.
[/URL]
Crazy stuff for sure, when I break a bow now I just walk away without a pout or even a long face. I broke 2 today. No pics, I know exactly what went wrong. When you don't feel good you do very stupid things, you simply don't think. :banghead:
The one bow was tillered really good except for one spot, the inner tip section of the top limb, it was to stiff and I over pulled it on the Tiller stick, she went kerblooy... :laughing: Ya gota have a sense of Haha doing this stuff or you will kill yourself trying.
Oh well. See how the next one turns out which will be soon...... :cool:
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
Glass didn't help this bow that Soy built for the bow trade.
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j380/thadsoy/IMG_20140510_243441_285.jpg
Thanks pat :thumbsup: :banghead: :laughing:
Had a 48" kids bow I made for my little girl blow after numerous shots. To make it worst she was in front of all the kids at our church archery night. Thank God she didn't get hurt. I have since switched to 'glass bow making and so far have had no issues. I know they can and do break but most of mine are built in the 40-45# range so no heavy weights. I only pull 27 inches and always make sure they draw to at least 28". Maybe try a glass bow and then go back to all wood. I have no doubt I can and will make some more all wood bows and have learned alot while making the glass ones. I miss the wood shavings. Maybe try some osage or hickory next try. Good luck and don't give up dude! :thumbsup:
You get over it. It happens. That's why I use a rope and pulley s if it breaks it breaks across the cellar. LOL. Jawge
thanks guys