Chrysal or crack

[osage outlaw]

Looks like a lunar ring to me 

[Joec123able]

That's a crack no doubt in my mind. The spot the crack is in is hardly doing much bending so I highly doubt it's a chrysal

[DC]

  I would pint to the dry heat as the cause. Did you have the bow on a caul when you heated it?

Yes. The bow is 1" wide at that point and the caul is a 2x8, so 1 1/2".

[bow101]

Thats a shame she cracked.  I think that steaming could cause some issues as well, after all you are stretching the fibers either way.

[DC]

Ah, ship happens. I will try another one. I'll get it a little thinner before I steam in the recurves. I might use dry heat. When I steamed the tips on this one they pulled out quite a bit. When I heat treated them they stayed in a lot better.

[DC]

I believe that if you clean it a little and flood with thin superglue you MAY be good. Thats because it will be in compression for the rest of it's life. If you do it now you might save the bow in the long run. Again just my opinion
rich

I tried to flood it with CA but I think the tung oil has already filled the crack, it didn't look like any CA went in. I'll shoot it til it gets worse.

[Del the cat]

Chrysals are usually straight and at an angle, look more like hairs, less obvious than that. I'd say that's a crack.
IMO a pathc would fix it, clean cracks on the belly aren't too bad as long as they are not buckling up.
Del

[WillS]

Here is a picture of a chrysal on one of the first bows I made as a comparison.  It looked to me like the "crack" was below the area that you recurved.  Could be a crack - but if it below where you recurved the tip, you can't feel it, and it doesn't open up when you stress it, I am sticking with chrysal.  BWTH do I know?   

That's not a chrysal either

That's a crack.  Chrysals always run diagonally because of what they are, and are always lighter in colour.  They also don't wiggle about and zig zag like that.  Both images are cracks, not chrysals.

[Pappy]

Looks like a crack from the bending, if it's not to deep it will most likely be fine. As Gordon said, not likely to Chrystal in that are of the limb. Super glue and maybe a wrap ,not even sure that is necessary ,the pressure is pulling it together not apart if it is just a crack and I think it is.
   Pappy

[PEARL DRUMS]

That knot acted as a fulcrum and stretched her right out until it tore. That's a tough bend for anybody to make with any type of heat. I doubt it will go anywhere based on where it is located.

[PatM]

  I would pint to the dry heat as the cause. Did you have the bow on a caul when you heated it?

Yes. The bow is 1" wide at that point and the caul is a 2x8, so 1 1/2".

Steamed wood  that is  held under tension and then hit with dry heat does not like that. It's OK to just support the curve but not to try to get a bit more curve.
 Personally I would skim off a bit of belly thickness on both curves and lay down a  layer or two of thinner wood to replace it and then blend everything smooth.

[George Tsoukalas]

I'd learn from my mistakes, as I've made more than my share, and make another one. I wish I took my advice.

But...when I first started I'd try to rescue these problem bows with varying degrees of success.

Lay down some epoxy and wrap it with thread. Put more epoxy over the thread. hope for the best.

Jawge

[DC]

Thank everyone for the advice.

Jawge I have definitely learned something,"Don't try to bend big hooks in thick wood"

PatM I was seriously considering a patch as Del suggested but I like your idea better. It would look like I did it on purpose. You'll all have to keep a secret.

PD I did notch the caul to make room for the knot but maybe not enough. I do believe the knot had a bearing on this.   

[Springbuck]

  Unless proven different by breaking news, THAT is a crack resulting from the recurving process.  3/4" is too thick, with any wood I know of.   I have done this exact thing two dozen times, and it's an easy fix.

Get a plane, sandpaper, double cut flat file, and/ or scraper, and flatten the belly of the limb for a couple inches each side, flat LATERALLY, even, and long enough to matter.  Then cut a 1/8" slat of something beatiful and strong, prebend it to the original curve with boiling, steam, or microwave.  Glue it on and blend it with the limb./  Presto, beautiful overlay, and durable recurves.

[DC]

PatM mentioned a layer or 'two'. The crack looks like it's less than 1/16" where it comes to the edge. Could I use two layers of veneer or am I better off with one thickness. With one thickness I only have one glue line to screw up