Cracked selfbow

Ronnie Newell · September 15, 2021, 08:16:02 AM

Was gonna refinish my hickory selfbow. Found these two cracks. Will backing save this thing or is it toast?

woodchucker · September 15, 2021, 08:33:55 AM

Are you sure they are cracks??
Most cracks I've seen go lengthwise with the grain...

They almost look like drawknife nicks?
Have you tried to shoot it since you found them?

Orion · September 15, 2021, 09:20:03 AM

Is that on the back of the bow, or the belly? On the belly it's called crysalling. Regardless, it's not a good sign either way. Early indication of eventual limb failure.

Ronnie Newell · September 15, 2021, 10:02:44 AM

[attachment=1]looks to me they go all the way around. I'm afraid to shoot it but I flexed it hard and didn't see or hear anything. It must be surface cracks.

Ronnie Newell · September 15, 2021, 10:15:54 AM

I have heat treated the belly and too much I think. Its lightly charred, wondering if that made it too brittle and caused this.
I really don't know much abt wooden bows, other than I don't have much luck with them. Thats why I don't have an Osage or Yew
......lol

PrestonTaylor · September 15, 2021, 10:31:28 AM

Bummer Ronnie. But on the positive side, it's time to make a new bow!

Pat B · September 15, 2021, 11:10:39 AM

Not good, back or belly. Like Orion said on the belly it would be compression fracture(fret, chrysals) on the back a tension failure.
Unless you strained the bow right after heat treating it probably isn't the reason for the cracks or frets.

Ronnie Newell · September 15, 2021, 11:33:45 AM

Thank ya'll for the info. Think I'm through messing around with wooden bows.
Thanks again

GCook · September 15, 2021, 09:42:37 PM

Quote from: Ronnie Newell on September 15, 2021, 11:33:45 AM
Thank ya'll for the info. Think I'm through messing around with wooden bows.
Thanks again

I've heard that from you before. Now go build another one.

Bisch · September 15, 2021, 11:18:01 PM

I'm a hunter-indian. I let bow builder-indians build bows for me to shoot!

Bisch

Basinboy · September 16, 2021, 12:11:08 PM

Mr Ronnie you might be able to salvage it if you wrap it in sinew and coat with Tite Bond. I did that to the Osage bow I built when it had a fracture on the back. It is still shooting

Give me a call and I'll explain in more detail

blacktailbob · September 16, 2021, 01:17:05 PM

Or you could just send it to me.
I am a recurve guy but it would look cool at the top of my rack.

Sam McMichael · September 16, 2021, 07:47:42 PM

I would not trust a cracked bow.

The Whittler · September 16, 2021, 08:20:35 PM

Just remember if you shoot it and it breaks your the only one who's going to feel. :-)

Eric Krewson · September 17, 2021, 09:07:40 AM

I have a friend who puts on a longbow shooting demonstration at the local SCA Renaissance Fair, he has several hickory long bows he lets the interested shoot. I looked at one and saw chrysals from stem to stern, perhaps a dozen of them, every hickory bow he had was the same.

He said they had been that way for years, none had ever failed.

Perhaps you will get lucky, I would give the area a good sinew wrap for insurance although I have never seen a bow crack all the way around like yours.