1st bow snapped mid limb!!!!

[okiecountryboy]

I AM SOOO LET DOWN!
My 1st red oak board bow just snapped into firewood mid limb... since this was my 1st try I am really let down. I had good straight grain. Did I tiller too thin? It was just under 3/8" thick at the break. I had pulled it 7 or 8 times and had heard some very mild popping, then SNAP...
Considering I put most of my free time (which is scarce) into this bow, I want to make it right next time.

anybody and everybody...HELP
Ron

[El Destructo]

You should have posted pictures of your progress... so we could've let you know what we seen as you were working it...hard to tell anything without pictures....and remember..... If You Ain't Breakin Em...... You Ain't Makin Em.:....

[Gordon]

My first two bow attempts were sucessful and then I broke the next 6 in a row. And in the past 6 months I broke one bow and have had numerous smaller failures. If you are serious about making wooden bows you better start getting used to it.

[Aries]

if you posted some pictures we could prolly make a diagnosis.  so far i have only successfully been able to keep from snapping 2 of 4 red oak bows. i tiller to 50# at 27" red oak boards just arent very reliable hate to say...

oh keep the good half of the bow.. if you break another one you can splice them together at the handle!!!!!  from 2 comes one   Ty

[okiecountryboy]

Is just under 3/8" too thin for thickness?
Can't figure how to post pics
Ron

[KenH]

Thickness isn't the only factor.  Can't say a thing without other info like rate of taper, length overall ttt or ntn, draw weight you wanted to achieve.

If you don't have one, go to www.photobucket.com and start a free account.  Then upload to Photobucket pictures from your computer.  From there you can copy the URL and post the picture here.

[Lombard]

Aries, where are you getting your Red Oak? I get mine directly from the hardwood mill, and dry it myself. So far I have done eighteen Red Oak Board Bows, and only have broken two. They were some of my earlier efforts, and although I am still learning, my tillering eye is improving; which helps a lot.

[Grunt]

I have built a couple dozen red oak board bows and have broken only two. I have backed all with 6 oz linen canvas applied with titebond 2 . I think backing them has been the key to getting more shooters with less breakage. I still have only five bucks or so in each bow. I think the key is identifying why the bows break. If you learn something from your failures you will have more successes. Picts will help us help you.

[Orkraider]

My first red oak board bow also snapped in the mid limb when I first went to shoot it.

For me, it was that it had a hinge on it due to sloppy tillering, and all the force went right to that spot.

I do have to say, when you get ready to start tillering, put some pics up. You'll get lots of great feedback from a whole bunch of eyes.  My next bow will be tillered that way.

You can also use imgur to host pics, it's free, and you don't even need to set up an account. it's at imgur.com

best of luck!

[George Tsoukalas]

My first 14 broke. Every now and then I break one. There 's board bow info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[ricktrojanowski]

I hear you on the scarce bow building time.  Don't get too down though, it happens.  I just broke a sinew backed ERC that I had about 40 hrs or so into.  It really sucked.  Just start antother it's only wood.

[okiecountryboy]

OK, yall are right.  No more let downs.. I will keep going  till I get it right..
I will not stop
Thanks everyone
Ron

[George Tsoukalas]

Jawge says, "If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin'!" Jawge

[okiecountryboy]

Ron says,YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! 
Thanks for the encouragement...

Ron

[aero86]

i say get a jig saw to save some time.  i know using power tools can be dangerous, but just use it to cut the width dimensions, not the thickness.  thats what i did.  saved lots of time.