Dry Air =

[DanaM]

That could make a guy nervous for awile eh. Just goes to show that everyone
breaks a bow now and then

[Marc St Louis]

I've had at least 1/2 a dozen literally explode on me and I've only been hit once or twice, I consider myself lucky 

It does look like the Elm let go Richard

Breaking her china would have been worse than breaking the bow, lucky twice over on this one.

That is indeed the string in my right armpit.

Here is the second bow I caught on film as it broke. It was a Bamboo backed Bloodwood and this one shattered to the point that I was picking pieces of Bloodwood off the floor for weeks.

[Dano]

I have always heard that Bloodwood makes a spectacular explosion, don't know if I'll ever want to try that wood. Great pictures Marc, they aren't for the faint at heart.

[duffontap]

What a rare catch Marc.  I had a bow break the same way once but it's wasn't 85#s.    

          J. D.

[cowboy]

Total chaos for a second or two - that picture captured it perfectly.

[Rich Saffold]

Thanks Marc, Actually this thread has been a good reminder for me since I have plenty of bows living in these colder regions to  remind some folks to keep track of the humidity where they store their bows..

We never use a heater here so when it is naturally dry here the elm bows are the ones we like to use, plus hickory, and guava...To see an elm backing blow like that gets my attention..

Rich

[ozark caveman]

Winter time brings dry air. How dry?

I was working on this Elm backed Maple off and on for the last couple days. Had it tillered to about 80# @ 29" with a good tillered shape, as you can see in this photo



I had drawn this bow several times to 29" and everything felt good. It had about 1/8" positive tiller and the backing seemed sound. Then I took it to 30" and one minute everything was ok then the bow was in several pieces. The camera caught the action



This is not the first bow I've had explode on me but it is the second I've caught on film. It never feels good when this happens

Did you have it tillered to 29" ? I'm wondering why you drew the bow past 29"? I've never had anything good come from overdrawing a bow
  I once had one of my dogwood bows break after sitting in the back of my truck on the way to a winter camp. It was there for 2 hours in 15 degree weather. I wonder if the cold caused that?

[medicinewheel]

WOW! glad you didn't get hurt!

[Marc St Louis]

OC
Well usually that is what you do when you are tillering a bow out. You go from 29" to 30" then to 31  . This bow was 70" long and normally would have easily taken a 30" draw.

If you took the bow from your warm dry house then yes that could easily have done it. Cold air draws moisture to it so it would have dried the surface wood out, good for compression but bad for tension

[Easternarcher]

Holy Cr*&*&%^&P! MArc, that musta messed yer drawers!
Glad you weren't hurt in the episode...

[George Tsoukalas]

WOW! I've had about 6 go at full draw too. I think. None that pretty though. It's pretty dry in NH in the winter too. Who knows why that one broke.  Tiller is excellent. I will say this thought I almost never draw a  bow more  than on inch further than I've  tillered it on my rope and pulley at a safe  distance away. Marc, I admire your courage. Jawge

[Ryano]

To bad about the bow Marc, but those pictures are cool! What are the chances of the timer going off at that exact second? and more than once. wow!

[Pappy]

Been there,done that,just never caught it on film.Cool pictures tho.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

The old adage..."a bow fully drawn is 9/10th broken" comes to mind with these pics. I had an ERC ELB style bow blow a few years ago . I still flinch when I see pics like these.     Pat