tiny bug holes a problem?

[Newindian]

There are two of them on the back of an Osage self bow I'm working on and they are so small that it took me forever or actually find them, one is several inches away from a tip the other is mid limb neither are very close to an edge and both are about the size of a slightly dulled pencil pencil lead. My question would be can I just leave them alone. If pic are needed I should be able to get some up tomorrow afternoon.

[chamookman]

I'd flow some super glue in them and continue if it was Me. Bob

[Joec123able]

Nope there not a problem have you seen some of the Osage self bows posted on here with gigantic knot holes that you could fit your arm through? Lol I don't see how a tiny little bug hole is gonna effect anything

[SLIMBOB]

Interesting to me that it's on Osage.  My Hackberry gets those tiny bug holes, but the Bodark beside it does not.

[Pat B]

Any break in the continuity of the back ring can be a problem. The back of a bow works in tension(pulling)and even small holes are a violation of the back ring and a splinter can arise from these when the bow is drawn. Super glue may remedy this but only time will tell.
Pics are always a beneficial for us to make a judgement of a problem, even a minute one. 

[Josh B]

Pat's right.  Those holes are a violation of some of the grain.  There's a big difference between a knothole where the grain flows around the knot and a bug hole that cuts through it.  The other problem is that even though the entry hole is small, some bugs get in there and hollow out channels that get progressively bigger as the bug grows.  This will create some hidden voids that will be a big problem.  Pics would definitely help. Are there exit holes?  I'm not saying you won't get a bow out of it.  But pics would help in guessing the probability of it.  Josh

[Eric Krewson]

Powder post beetle holes, about the size of a pin, look real innocent but are the worst of the worst.

Here is a cross section of a log and what these rascals actually do after they penetrate the surface of wood.

[Del the cat]

I wouldn't trust any wood with bug holes near the back... kaboom
Del

[Eric Krewson]

I tried to make a hickory bow out of a stave that had a few pin holes in the back of the stave, here is the result. You can see the beetle trail in the form of segmented sawdust(bug dodo) in the center of the stave. On close inspection it turned out the visible bug trail was one of many.

[Slackbunny]

I'd fill them with super glue and move forward. If it breaks it breaks, and you'll know for sure that the stave was bad. If you burn it, you'll never know what could have been.

[mikekeswick]

It can be bad news when a bow blows....ok on a tillering board but in the hand.....
Bug holes = Bad news
The short and safe answer is cut it in half and keep the good half for a future spliced bow.
If you are determined to continue with it I would fill with thin ca and then either do a rawhide patch or a small sinew patch around the area. At least if it does fail you will have some warning because you will see a white line 'appear' under the backing before kaboom.

[Newindian]

First of all I was only able to see the first two replys before I had to go out of internet connection and tiller this bow, which was successful the at my draw length, but this bow isn't intended for me ( but a tip overlay broke on the way back so that needs to be fix before shooting again). they are closer to the edge than I remembered when I made the original post

[Newindian]

I would add that there is only one other hole and it is in the side of the handle. I have split other smaller bows out off the same stave and haven't seen any holes in them.

[Hamish]

It doesn't look too deep. Best bet would've been to course sand the hole and surrounding area so you flatten any abrupt transitions, where a tension break gremlin might get at. You could still do it now.
 If you are selling the bow or even giving it I would personally back it with raw hide just for safety, and to save you having to risk hours and materials making a replacment.

[Newindian]

The bow will be donated to an friends of the NRA auction that our shooting club host. My main problem is that I'm short on backing materials at the time, I'm considering taking thin Osage wood shavings and gluing them over the holes