Best patch for a Chrysal in Osage

[Prarie Bowyer]

I got my ends flipped around last night and the spoke shaving was easy and smooth.    Next things I know I chrysaled the belly of my first Osage Bow.

Considering a Torges Patch, A filled saw kerf, or wrapping it with dewaxed bowstring and soaking in super glue.  Soaked the actual line in superglue.

Other than that the bow is coming along.  I don't want to scrap it.  What is the best case fix?

[rockrush69]

If i were you i would use sinew . I could even mail you some ( no charge) if you sont have any ( i am trying to build up my good karma)  let me know friend . You can call me if ya want tonight aroumd 6 pm eastern time. @ 239 362 6166 jesse rush

[Prarie Bowyer]

How would you use sinew?  I've done the super glue soaked bowstring wrap on a lifted fiber.

I've also tried the torges patch but the bow broke near the patch.  I'd had to do it a few time on the same bow. 

I've also done a kerf cut and then filled the kerf with wood and superglue but it was a light draw bow.  This is to now.  It is a trilam of maple, bamboo, and Osage. Other than this one issue the rest of the bow is nearly finished and coming along killer.

[Carson (CMB)]

I have used a horn patch with success on ocean spray which is similar density to Osage. 

[toomanyknots]

First time I used a torges patch, it was on a yellow heart bow. I used osage for the patch. It popped right out, I am thinking because I didn't either get a good enough glue up (with tb3), or it was just too strong for the yellow heart, or both. So my only advice, is don't use an osage patch on a yellow heart bow!

[Tom Leemans]

Here's a bow I did with a "Torges patch"
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,34856.msg459457.html#msg459457
I used Urac for the glue. You don't clamp this type of patch done with Urac (Now Unibond 800) This type of adhesive has some "suck" to it, whereas TBII type glues like a tight joint. I'd trust Urac/Unibond to hold better over the long run anyway. Dean told me years ago that when he switched to Urac for gluing on handles and such, he quit having glue failures. Good luck!

[Prarie Bowyer]

How is that bow holding up?

[artcher1]

Chrysals/frets can easily be repaired using a shallow patch. Easier still if the bow is unfinished. For a radius belly the finished patch will look like a football patch for example. Patch will look very nice.  Nothing looks worse than a goobed wrap on a new bow............Art

[bushboy]

If I was in this spot I would find a way to make it looked like part of the design or make a womans or kids bow.but that's my OCD!cheer's!

[mikekeswick]

OOOps.....
Dean Torges style patch made from osage. Glued with urac or resourcinol. Go to his website for a detailed description of the process...don't use a clamp!
Sinew - you'll need shed loads and the belly wood is already cabbage...
Horn has very low bend resistance and very different properties than osage.
Wrapping does nothing other than hide the problem - it isn't fixed when you wrap it!

[Joec123able]

A chrysal in Osage you say ? Never heard of such nonsense

[sleek]

I have never heard of it either. Must be really hinging there and have flat wide back and narrow rounded belly. You can not remove a chrysal in any wood without cutting it out. You can however stop it form working by relieving all of its stress.

Its a compression fracture causing wood to lift and buckle due to concentrated stresses. First remedy to to get your tiller correct if its not. Second is you take a sewing needle and basically stop drill the fracture. Look up stop drilling for sheet metal cracks. This stops it from spreading. Then, you make a series of small and deep punctures all around the fracture. You want them about 1/4 inch away, no more, a little less is ok. Do them in a line as if you were making a circle around the chrysal. maybe spaced out from each other 1/32 inch apart. These punctures relieve the compression stresses of that section and spread them out further. After this is done, burnish the raised fracture back down flat. Do not sand or scrape here at all, its already too weak and that will only make it weaker. You may also want to touch the area very lightly with some localized heat treatment to firm up that part of the belly wood.

This is a method I have done several times on different woods. If you do it with uniformity, it can look decent. If not, do a wrap to hide it. It works and works well. This is a method used on dope and fabric aircraft skins to repair rips and tears in the fabric skin. Give it a go and post pics. I want to see chrysals in osage. Id like to know how that happened.

[Gordon]

I used to try to fix them, but now when one of my bows develops a chrysal I accept that something was wrong with my design or execution and I chuck it. It's not worth the effort in my opinion.

[Pappy]

What Gordon said. Not worth the time to me,always looking for a reason to build another anyway. 
   Pappy

[artcher1]

I used to try to fix them, but now when one of my bows develops a chrysal I accept that something was wrong with my design or execution and I chuck it. It's not worth the effort in my opinion.

What Gordon said. Not worth the time to me,always looking for a reason to build another anyway. 
   Pappy

Wise words from those that are rich in yellow gold or whatever ! But for us poor folk, a different story. Learning to repair, and not replace, hones one's skills as well. And if you don't have another stave to jump right on, and excuse to at least screw something else up ................Art