I'm really starting to think me and bow building don't mix. I had this hickory flat bow starting to bend.



I knew that the big knot below the fades would be a problem but didn't have much choice during lay out. During scraping around the knot while tillering I noticed a crack. It was in the wood around the knot running down the middle of the edge grain. I scraped away down the edge to remove it but this is what I'm left with. The bow is at 68" and still pretty heavy. The narrowest part of the bad spot is about 3/4" from center. Where do I go from here?







Thanks guys.

Rob, fill the crack with super glue.  Fill the knot with super glue and if it has a void in it add sawdust to the super glue. The knot area is stiff now but you are beginning to hinge just past it. Mark that area so you don't scrape there. Get the right limb bending more and more at the outer 2/3 of the left limb.

thats not bad yet- lots of room to fix that.
just listen to ol'Pat, he will do you good!

Thanks guys!

That pic of the tiller was before I removed the wood around the bad spot. I'm sure it really hinges there now. Do I narrow the taper to match and if so do I narrow the other limb to match? I was at 2" wide now that spot would make it 1 1\\2"  .

I'd be alot more concerned about that really narrow spot after the know than I would have been about a crack running lengthwise on the limb.

I would switch to a much shorter string on the bow. Those long strings lie.

I would probably narrow the whole thing to match the narrowest point.  Follow the grain.

After that, you go to the only place you can go, remove wood where it doesn't bend enough and leave it alone where it bends too much.  

Definitely shorten that tillering string to the nock-to-nock length.  No reason to have it any longer in my opinion.

Thanls guys. I will work on it. .

Well she didn't make it. I matched the narrowest point and shortened my tillering string. Got it bending so sweet but noticed the problem limb taking set and started looking to see what the problem was. After noticing the crack coming back I scraped down a bit and found a darker bad spot with a cavity about 2in. past the knot causing the trouble.

I learned a lot with this bow. I had to chase a growth ring on hickory because of a deep cut spot, it had knots and dips and twist, and I came up with one really good limb. Maybe next time I will get two.    

wasnt going to say this before, but since this is a learning curve... a thing to consider is in the layout , to have put that knot right in the middle of the handle- in the non working/bending section of the bow- that would have made the bow a bit shorter- but the wood could have handled that- 64 or 65", and if it was a real worry, flipping just the tips would have helped that- still easy to tiller- dont be daunted by flipping the tips- i was for years- now i love it.

remember to allow the stave to dictate what kind of bow to build- dont just build the bow you have in mind, especially when it comes to staves that have a little character.

but you did great- keep forging ahead!!

i have drilled out those spots from the belly side, and put a plug in- then a good rawhide backing might have helped.
i know, i know...its tough enough trying to build a bow as is- then to have all the curve balls thrown at you. best thing is to just stop for a few days and do some thinkin and READING ON TRADGANG   - i find it helps me- but sure is hard to put that darn stave down-innit??

Thanks fujimo! Yeah its hard to put down. I can't wait to startanother.

Did you get a stave of osage yet? Make the next one a keeper.

P.S

Use a straight edge or a Gizmo and do just as it says.

Rob make one of these. It will help you tiller.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000075

Nicely done! I like the way you left the knotted area  a bit wider and tillered it to be a little stiffer than the rest of the limb. Jawge

Pearly, Haven't got any yet. Stuck at home right now in a snow storm and the 4x4 in my truck is messed up. Can't hunt or work on a bow.      

Thanks Roy I was looking for that post. I'm  defiantly going to ask more questions about layout and tiller the next round.