creaking in handle

[Andrew Wesley]

i finished an Osage bow a while ago.
when i bought the stave off a friend he warned me it had a crack in the handle running parallel to the back of the bow about 3/4 of an inch from the back.
(handle is 1" thick)

i shot super glue into the crack to seal it up,
but now there is a clicking sound coming from the handle when the bow is at about 3/4 draw.
this bow has been shot probably over 1000 times so far and seems to be ok, but the sound is really unnerving.

should i be worried about the handle breaking?

[razorback]

Try wrapping the whole area with serving thread or sinew and soaking in superglue. Should give it some support. Hopefully others with more experience will give you some advise too.
Good luck.

[walkabout]

i agree wrapping it with something will support it, and give you some peace of mind if it decides to blow as well. are you sure it isnt the string loops riding up on the nocks? many times that will cause creaking too.for wrapping hemp or B50 will work just fine.

[Pat B]

Does the crack between two growth rings or through them? Between them is generally wind shake and can be the death of a bow. If it is limited to that one area it may be fixable.
 If you know where the crack is pull your bow to half draw and have someone squirt super glue into the crack. Clamp the handle and unstring the bow. After plenty of time for the glue to cure wrap it with a strong cord and set that in glue. I like hemp cord from Walmart set in Massey finish. It makes a comfortable handle wrap for any weather conditions and is very strong. I began using this type of handle wrap for a similar reason but have continued using it because it makes such a good handle wrap.

[Andrew Wesley]

thanks for the help guys.      

i'm positive it's not the nocks. that was my first thought so i padded the loops and widened the nocks. then filled them in and redid them at a little different angle, still made the sound.

i'll try to get some glue into it when it's at 1/2 draw and binding it and see if that helps.
if not i'm thinking of taking off wood down to the crack and making a bend in the handle bow.