problems with nocks

[fishfinder401]

i just finished my first 100+ osage bow, and im having a little problem. the problem is that  used side knocks and they are working fine, except for the fact that there is a small crack forming under where the string is, at first it was just one tip, and i figured it was nothing, but it looks like it is starting to form on the other. what should i do
thanks
noel

[Pat B]

Noel, are the cracks going from the nock towards the limb? If so, you need to find a fix before you string it again. You say it pulls 100#+. Definately fix it before stringing it again.  You may have to reshape the tips and add horn nocks. There were reasons for using horn nocks on heavy bows and thier beauty wasn't the main one. 

[fishfinder401]

Noel, are the cracks going from the nock towards the limb? If so, you need to find a fix before you string it again. You say it pulls 100#+. Definately fix it before stringing it again.  You may have to reshape the tips and add horn nocks. There were reasons for using horn nocks on heavy bows and thier beauty wasn't the main one. 

they go straight down with the grain about an inch, how would i add a horn nock, as i'm not sure the shape would fit, its around 1inch thick right before the nock and 1/2 thick, would dear antler work?

[Pat B]

Can you post pics?   Antler might work. Is this a flat bow or an ELB style?   

[fishfinder401]

Can you post pics?   Antler might work. Is this a flat bow or an ELB style?   

flat bow, ill try to get a picture in a minute

[fishfinder401]

i think this will work
i went over it with a pencil to make it obvious

[Pat B]

I would put thin super glue down in the crack and clamp it. When cured I'd add an antler overlay and underlay to support those nocks...or better yet after the super glue is cured a sinew wrap just below the nock.   Did you say this bow is 100#+?  If your bow is 100# I really don't have the experience to say.

[fishfinder401]

I would put thin super glue down in the crack and clamp it. When cured I'd add an antler overlay and underlay to support those nocks...or better yet after the super glue is cured a sinew wrap just below the nock.   Did you say this bow is 100#+?  If your bow is 100# I really don't have the experience to say.

it is somewhere in the neighbor hood of 110-120, how would i attach the underlay and overlay? and what type of blue would you use for the sinew, iv'e never used it before, would flex coat epoxy work?
thanks
noel

[fishfinder401]

what if i were to make tips out of these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Unpolished-Water-Buffalo-Horn-Horns-Animals-Bones-/150547203198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230d50047e#ht_763wt_905

[Cameroo]

I'm no expert, but I would think that you could just wrap the tips with silk thread and then coat it with crazy glue.  With a bow that heavy, some kind of overlays would probably be a good idea though.

[Eric Krewson]

Why side nocks? I was stringing a bow one time and the string slipped out of one nock and put all the pressure on the opposite side nock,  the limb split 6" down into the limb. I had this happen one more time on another bow, never made another bow without tip overlays. In about 125 bows with overlays I had one overlay become partially unglued and take the back of the bow with it as it popped off. I highly recommend double nocks with an overlay on bows of higher poundage.

[Pat B]

I am familiar with single side nocks but I've never seen any like this. Where did you get this design?
  To me, they are set up for disaster. The tips are too thin and wide and the depth and shape of the nocks lends itself to splitting the grain apart and especially with so much draw weight.  Thicker, narrower tips would work better, IMO.   Look at the English war bows. Their tips are at least 1/2"x1/2" and even with a single side nock the nock holds the string without that deep of a nock. The weight of the bow will keep the string in the nock.
  After thinking about it I think I would add overlays and underlays and even a wrap over them to insure that the tip design will hold up to that much weight.
  That buff horn will work but don't you have something available so you don't have to order water buffalo horns. Deer antler, bone, goat horn, etc. Check out Pet Smart or other similar pet store for dog bones, etc that would be appropriate.
Where did you get that design?  

[jwillis]

I would definitely sand and glue on a large horn overlay...about 2-1/2" long with a lot of taper to help distribute the stress out over a larger area. It would appear that the single side nock is putting a lot of excess pressure on one side causing the wood to fail. I've been buying horn knife scales from Ebay. Jim

[fishfinder401]

I am familiar with single side nocks but I've never seen any like this. Where did you get this design?
  To me, they are set up for disaster. The tips are too thin and wide and the depth and shape of the nocks lends itself to splitting the grain apart and especially with so much draw weight.  Thicker, narrower tips would work better, IMO.   Look at the English war bows. Their tips are at least 1/2"x1/2" and even with a single side nock the nock holds the string without that deep of a nock. The weight of the bow will keep the string in the nock.
  After thinking about it I think I would add overlays and underlays and even a wrap over them to insure that the tip design will hold up to that much weight.
  That buff horn will work but don't you have something available so you don't have to order water buffalo horns. Deer antler, bone, goat horn, etc. Check out Pet Smart or other similar pet store for dog bones, etc that would be appropriate.
Where did you get that design?  

i  made that design my self, originally it wasn't so deep, but when i saw the crack, i tried to get it so the pressure wasn't on the crack, so would it be better to put an overlay on it, or fit horn nocks onto the tips, so the stuff at pet smart is just regular horn or bone, i wasn't sure if anything was added, that seems like it might be my best bet, as i have no real resources for putting an overlay.

[Pat B]

For a bow that heavy your design is not very practical from what I can see. If you are interested in heavy bows, check out the War Bow thread. Those guys build very heavy bows and are familiar with what is needed to support such high draw weights. Most of us guys here on the "Bows" thread build bows of hunting and target weights, about 1/2 or less of what you want to build.