Ever had your sinew job crack?

[Cacatch]

I recently sinewed a 50" white elm bow with knox and whitetail leg tendons. It looks great, shoots good, but there is one problem - at full draw and nearing full draw, I hear these ticks like she's about to let go. She's not letting go at all, the tiller is not changing, draw weight is not decreasing, but I keep hearing these ticks. I examined the bow last night and finally saw what is cracking. The sinew backing is showing lateral cracks. They look like cracks in ice. They are not open, but you can see the fracture lines. I hope to get a picture up this weekend of this bow and some others I have made. But has anyone had any experiences like this? Did it lead to disaster at any point down the road? As I said, draw weight and tiller appear to be unaffected up to this point. But I can definately see the cracks in the sinew backing.

Thanks

[Justin Snyder]

Sinew will always make lots of noise. I have had cracking like that, especially when it is really dry. I haven't had a problem yet.

[Pappy]

I have in the passed but the last few I really squeezed the glue out by pulling it through my fingers before applying it.I think it is the glue that cracks not the sinew.Had no problem with since then.
I don't guess it will cause any problem,just scary hearing an all wood bow tick.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

As Pappy said it is probably the glue cracking which in common. I read about it in one of Jay Massey's books. If too much glue is used with the sinew it will crack or at least make cracking sounds when drawn but I believe it is only superficial noise and not detrimental to the bow.
  I have only built a few sinewed bows and after reading about the cracking sounds I made sure I squeezed out the excess glue before laying down the sinew. Fortunately for me I never heard the sound.

[Hillbilly]

Yep, too much glue. Had the same problem with the first one I sinewed.

[Cacatch]

Well I'll be darned. That's what it is then, too much glue. I did indeed use too much, actually on purpose because I thought it was a good thing. I guess it's not really bad, but it leads to this.

Mystery solved. Thanks for all the replies!

[rileyconcrete]

Too much glue on anything isnt that good.  The less you use on sinew backing the better.  It is not the glue that suports the back it is the sinew.  I dont think I would worry about the creaking, just use way less glue on the next one.

Tell

[El Destructo]

Pup....don't worry about the Cracks...or the Creaks...I have my first Sinewed Bow...an Ash Bow...it was done with Waaaay too much Glue.....it has cracks from one end to the Tother...the Sinew Strands were left too big...it looks like Worms crawling through Honey......... ....but it Cracks and Raises hell...but still to this Day (10 years) shoots just fine....only thing is...it's like 10 pounds stronger now......and I am weaker........

[wodpow]

thinning the glue also help keep the back more sinew than glue. Once you find a water to glue ratio you won't have nearly as much crackling and won't have to squeeze out  as much glue is what i have found and I use more sinew strands in a lay and work them out flat with your wet fingers makes the job go quicker ..Thinner glue jells a little slower than thick mostly have fun doing something you like . I will normally get some warm glue on my fingers and swirl it around for about 5 seconds and should get  threads of glue pulling from finger to finger.if not it's to thin there is a guide for water to glue that should work best . I don't know what it is just using the glue you need and no more should give you a bow that don't look like mosaic after you have shot it in. Some is going to show and make that stepping on lightbuld glass sound but the heavy  mosaic look is from to much hide glue.