Sinew, anybody have this happen?

[Eric Krewson]

Had a nice sinew bow drying for a month or so, put in my drying box on low heat a couple of days ago, the sinew pulled the wood grains apart.

[loyd]

were the growth rings thick? have seen it with thick rings. loyd

[the Ferret]

heat box bad idea for sinew..at least when it's fresh. After a week or so low heat heat box would be ok

[ironrhino]

DANG Eric... is that the one that you started on here? (I was anxiously awaiting its completion!) well, if it is i hope you made two "just in case"

[Shakes.602]

Oh Bummer!!  :(   I will stash that tid-bit of knowledge.   Sorry Eric, That Sucks!!  :(  
Thanks for the "Knowledge File" Ferret!  

[Eric Krewson]

Yep, it is the one I started here, none other in the works.

[Littlefeather]

Whoa, that is way strange! I've had sinew do some strange stuff but nothing quite like that. Was the stave green when you sinewed it? I can't imagine a dry stave pulling appart to any degree like that. CK

[Littlefeather]

BTW, I put my sinew bows in a hot box at around 90 degrees after they've cured for at least a week in the open air shop. Our humidity is about 90% and if I don't put it in the hot box it takes about a year to fully cure out. I've had sinew lift, especially in static tips but nothing length wise. Super glue it, clamp it, and add some more sinew. It might look like hell but I bet it'll shoot. Good luck. CK

[Eric Krewson]

The stave was very dry, cut many years ago.

[Pat B]

Jay Massey talked about sinew backed bows from very dry staves would check badly along the belly. A friend has one of Jay's sinew backed bows that has severe checks in the belly.
  I wonder if the wood was so dry that it absorbed more moisture than normal from the hide glue and checked when it went into the hot box.   Pat

[Luke Vander Vennen]

Eric the last bow I sinewed did that in several places. I was thinking of trying to save it, but I think it's way too far gone. Could it be a bad growth ring? I think that might have been the culprit with mine.

[John Scifres]

Dang that's a bummer.  I have had staves separate along growth rings a lot so I guess it doesn't surprise me too much that sinew, shrinking as it dries, could do it.  I would say to try to save the sinew but I've tried that and it never worked like I wanted it to.

[Bowchef]

I had one do that a couple of years ago.  Separated between growth rings on an otherwise beautiful stave.  I spoke to Gary Davis and described what had happened and he told me to scrap the bow.  I didn't listen and finished it anyway.  I wore a hard hat and flak jacket as I brought it to full draw    
Ended up making one of the best bows I ever made.  Still shoots great.

[Eric Krewson]

I read on a M/L site you could use compressed air to blow glue deeply into cracks. I will let this one stay in the hot box until it gets done cracking, blow some urac into the cracks, use lots of clamps and make a laminated stave out of it. I have rescued worse bows that are still shooting, perhaps this one has a chance.

[Coach]

Eric--Had the same thinjg happen to me last summer.  I sinewed two bows.  Here in Kansa it was the hot part of the summer.  Over 100 degrees every day.  Every morning

[Coach]

Eric--Had the same thing happen to me last summer.  I sinewed two bows.  Here in Kansas it was the hot part of the summer.  Over 100 degrees every day.  Every morning I carried the bows out to be in the sun every day and at night I brought them in out of the moisture.  After about a week one of the bows had that same thing happen.  I did try to shoot it just to see what would happen.  The sinew held it together but it sounded like a broken bat.  The other bow turned out great!  Shane

[Buffler Razz]

Eric
Had it happen to me 2 years ago. Mine was airdrying (no hotbox) when it happened and like yours, was a well aged and dried piece of osage. Some that looked at it thought it may be from a wind check in the wood.