Newbie Question On Fretting

[PeteDavis]

I am still shooting my elm/hick bow. 67.5" n>n and about 65 lbs at 26.5".

Today after I strung the bow, I noticed two definite frets on the lower limb, tiny but they are too regular and similar (about 2" apart) to be scratches.

Are frets always fatal to the bow, or are light ones sometimes lived with?

I may have not planed my hickory thin enough.

Other than that the bow shoots great. I did this one to get my gluing down but it actually is a real nice bow. I'm on to the next bow pretty soon.

PD

[Pat B]

Pete, fretting is a sign that that area is bending more than the surrounding areas. You can remove wood from either side of the frets to relieve the fret causing stresses. Do not try to remove the frets or you will exaggerate the problem.
  Frets are not always fatal. Keep watching them. If they increase in size or other frets occur you will need to address the problem. Some woods seem to fret more than others and sometimes for no apparent reason but generally it is poor tillering that causes it and we are all guilty of this. 

[George Tsoukalas]

Pretty much unless fixed. The bow will literally fold on itself sooner or later. Frets, as you described them are weak spots in the tiller. That is the tiller is off so that spot bends more than the surrounding lob so it frets. You can retiller leaving that spot alone and removing wood from above and below that area. You'll have to retiller the other limb too, to match. I am in the process of fixing a friend's bow now. You can also do this. I glued on a small piece of rawhide and wrapped some sinew around it. Hopefully, he'll get some use out of it. It is hard to predict how long a bow with frets or chrysals will last. Jawge

[shamus]

You can remove wood from either side of the frets to relieve the fret causing stresses. Do not try to remove the frets or you will exaggerate the problem.

Pat nailed it.

Chrysaling or fretting is a result of improper tillering or design.. or a combination of both.

It's really nothing more than that.

 

[macbow]

George I've fixed fretted areas with a wood patch. With your rawhide and sinew patch was the rawhide on the belly?
Ron

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes, rawhide patch on the belly over the fret and then I added  a sinew wrap. The way you did it is probably better but this was quick and we;ll see. Jawge