What to do with ERC pins/knots?

[Chadwick]

I have a 70" beautiful stave, two knots which I saw were loose and I pushed out. Should I epoxy them back in? I don't think I left any extra wood around them. Bendy-handled, 6" up from center.  What do you think?
Michael

[M-P]

I'd be tempted to find/ make a peg slightly larger than the hole and fill the hole with the sound wood, rather than the knots.   Unfortunately that still leaves a weak point on the back.  ERC does well with backings though I think it should work.     Ron

[ohma2]

use some hard wood pegs or ive used deer antler pegs.dont mahe them over size just make them fit nicely into the holes you dont want to put pressure on the wood on the edge cause it will split it on the out side edge. i use super glue to hold them.

[Pat B]

The back would be more of a concern than the belly. I would fill then with epoxy mixed with sawdust.  I put super glue on all intact knots and pins on the back just for insurance.

[Chadwick]

So nobody suggests gluing back in the wood that was already in those holes? They may be soft, but I'm certain that those 'pegs' are the right size and shape.
Curiouser and Curiouser.

[M-P]

So nobody suggests gluing back in the wood that was already in those holes? They may be soft, but I'm certain that those 'pegs' are the right size and shape

The loose knots are  a) loose  b) suspect due to end grain exposure  c)  the holes probably have a slight ring of bark or decayed wood lining.
That's why I suggested a slightly over-sized peg.   I should also have said that I would then slightly enlarge the hole to match.   I know I saw a thread where similar dutchman were placed on the belly of a yew bow.  Anybody else remember that thread? 
The back of the bow would still need reinforcement.      Ron

[Chadwick]

Thanks. I made little dowels from a small chunk of whale rib bone, not sure if I did it right, but I'll go ahead and throw some rawhide on there, too.

[DuBois]

There was a real cool post that had an ERC longbow with osage dowels and it looked to have worked real well. Is that the one I sent ya?