How would you fix frets?

[ajbruggink]

Hi, everyone. I'm working on my third bow and I battled with a hinge through the tillering because apparently I wasn't paying attention and the hinge developed and I pulled it farther on the tillering tree before it was properly rid of. Anyway, I eventually tillered it to my intended draw length and the hinge still showed up in the profile of the bow. I shot 50 shots through it and it held up fine. I left it strung overnight and when I unstrung it it was fine. Then today, I built a string for it and strung up the bow, pulled on the bow a few times and I heard wood cracking. So I unstrung the bow and saw the frets developing in the hinged spots. I know people have fixed this problem before, I remember hearing of a technique where you glue a patch of rawhide on the bow limb to fix it, but I have also heard of people poking holes in parallel lines with the fret to relieve some of that compression and people taking wood away, gluing new wood in and re-tillering the bow. I was thinking of trying to poke holes in the frets and smooth them with steel wool to see if I can arrest them first before doing the other things, but I wanted to hear what you guys would do? If I could just patch it up with rawhide that would be great but something tells me that it won't be that easy. Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

The photos are my attempts to take pictures of the frets and the hinge in the limb where the problem started.

 

[osage outlaw]

If that was a piece I was working on I would start another bow.  Its not worth saving in my opinion.  Learn from it and try again.

[DarkSoul]

What wood is that?

You can only 'fix' frets by fixing the tiller, thus alleviating the stress on the hinged area. I'd like to see a braced pic of the bow to see what the tiller looks like.

[bow101]

If that was a piece I was working on I would I would start another bow.  Its not worth saving in my opinion.  Learn from it and try again.

+2 at least I'm agreeing with you.........

[Stringman]

Can I ask why you left it strung overnight?? This stave does not look salvageable to me.

[PatM]

Rawhide will do exactly nothing but hide them from view. Toss it.

[bubby]

I agree with OO, call it a Mulligan and take your do over

[wizardgoat]

If I heard a crack in one of my bows, I'd never pull it again. Wall hanger

[bradsmith2010]

I cant really tell enough from the photo,,a braced photo would help, ,and maybe a partial draw,,
what is the length of the bow,, what is your intended draw ,,,etc,, you cant fix frets you have to fix what is causing them,, once that is done there are options,,

[ajbruggink]

Can I ask why you left it strung overnight?? This stave does not look salvageable to me.

In 'The Backyard Bowyer', the author says leaving a finished bow strung overnight gets it to flexing, that's why I started doing it. I don't do this as a routine, its to break the bow in, otherwise I unstring it after every use. I did it with my first two bows and they're both shooting well, my second bow belongs to a friend and he reports that it is shooting as well as when he first received it but this may have nothing to do with long stringing time, I just repeated what worked. 

[ajbruggink]

I decided to break the bow on purpose, its not like I need a bow my first bow is in good shape, this bow was just for learning. I tried to do a Seminole bow replica, from pg. 71 in 'The Encyclopedia of Native American Bows and Arrows' vol 1. I tried to use a mahogany board, because that bow was made of mahogany. I knew it was a low quality bow wood, TBB vol.4, lists its specific in the 40's but I tried it anyway using a rawhide backing. I saved the rawhide, though I don't know if it can be used as a backing again, maybe a handle wrap. Thank you for your responses to my post.

[TimBo]

Well, it stinks to have a bow fail, but it sounds like you identified the reason(s) for it, so you can avoid it on your next one.  You always need another bow...

[bradsmith2010]

leaving a bow strung over night is not good practice,,yes a good bow can tolerate long stringing,,but as a practice is not necessary ,, and will only cause undo string follow,,which will reduce the cast of the bow,, yes it will still shoot well,, just not as hard,,

[4giveme]

In 'The Backyard Bowyer', the author says leaving a finished bow strung overnight gets it to flexing, that's why I started doing it. 

good morning aj,

the author you are referring to builds PVC bows, does he not? Since we are building wood bows, I am not sure if his advise would apply to us.
Sorry about your bow not preforming well, but don't fret  just build another. 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Backyard Bowyer! Seems to be a lot of those around the internet.