Aw jeez! May be a show stopper

[razorsharptokill]

I built a caul and was inducing some reflex and shifting this limb over a bit.

The dots mark where there are cracks running off the side of the limb.

Is it fatal?

[razorsharptokill]

[Bob Barnes]

a couple of things...

1) the bow sure "looks" thick...?  I have never had much luck heating thick wood...and that's a lot of reflex...  
2) when Gary Davis heated my very first osage bow on his caul, it developed some cracks as well...I thought that he had ruined it but he just squirted thin super glue into the cracks and said it would be fine...and it was.

Best of luck with the bow.

Bob

[Ricker]

most of the time you start from the tips and work to the handle......it "asks" a lot less from the fades to be flexed backwards if the tips and mid limb are already laying flat on the caul.

[razorsharptokill]

I heard a crack a few days ago while clamping the stave down to reduce the twist from getting worse. I'll be surprised if it survives.

[Pat B]

I'd do as Bob said and fill the crack with super glue and clamp it.  Also, that is a lot of reflex. Generally with a selfbow more than about 3" is self defeating. It stresses the wood so much it's like not reflexing at all. With 3" you should end up with 1" of reflex or dead flat profile. And it is a bit thick for bending too. I like to have it at floor tiller stage before heat straightening.

[razorsharptokill]

Ok thanks guys.