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Author Topic: Small cracks in back of bow.  (Read 4990 times)

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Offline Setarip

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Small cracks in back of bow.
« on: October 30, 2015, 12:55:24 pm »
Hey guys,

So some of you saw my first bow I posted yesterday. The bow shoots great! I recently hit a max of 158.8 fps with a 11.25 gpp arrow. Now after shooting a few hundred arrows through her, I brought her in and inspected each limb. I noticed on the bottom limb, about midway through it two small (about 1/4" long max) cracks. They are barely noticeable and only one can I barely notice it when running my fingers across it. I rubbed in some super glue gel. Do you think these are to be worried about? Thanks!!!
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Offline bowandarrow473

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2015, 01:49:13 pm »
Your bow is from a red oak board correct? If so then that's the early wood channels and it's nothing to worry about.
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Whatever you are, be a good one.

Offline Setarip

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2015, 02:02:54 pm »
It is indeed. Thank you for the reply! I am quite new to all of this so when I see something sketchy I get a little worried. :P
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2015, 02:05:01 pm »
I can't see, do the cracks go with the grain or across the grain?
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bowandarrow473

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2015, 02:34:01 pm »
Now, if you get cracks going across the bow. Then that's a serious problem, but those aren't cracks, they are part of the early wood pores. And 158fps with an 11 gpp arrow! That's very good even for an experienced bowyer, let alone for a first bow, very well done, I see many great bows from you in the future!
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Whatever you are, be a good one.

Offline DC

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2015, 02:43:35 pm »
Can you put some circles and arrows on the picture to show us where the cracks are?
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Offline Setarip

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2015, 03:08:15 pm »
They go across the grain. I must have misunderstood the first reply. They are quite small, and honestly I don't remember if they were there all along or not. I just went and put another 100 shots through it and they seem stable. Here are the two pics blown up with the cracks in the center of the frame.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2015, 03:11:51 pm by Setarip »
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2015, 03:28:14 pm »
That is a break in the grain and unfortunately it don't look good for that piece of wood.   Did you bend it too far before it was ready?
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Setarip

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2015, 03:33:10 pm »
I don't recall when I would have. I did draw her out to roughly 30.5" during tiller, but ever since I have stayed at 28" for safety. So maybe then? I definitely can get better with my tillering. I'm going to keep a close eye on it and make sure I don't draw past 28". Like I said earlier, after another 100 shots or do everything looked, felt, and sounded stable. No creaks or splintering sounds from it.
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Offline Setarip

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2015, 03:35:01 pm »
The next bow will be backed and better wood will be used.
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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2015, 03:50:26 pm »
Sorry to say that is an explosion waiting to happen.
It's good to never draw a bow past its intended draw length, no need to over stress it if it doesn't need to. You could back it and hope for the best. I would probably hang er up and pick up a new piece of wood.
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Offline PlanB

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2015, 04:40:22 pm »
Doesn't look good, but I have a feeling they were there already, rather than something you did, because of the gray discoloration -- looks like weathering. Not something you'd see with a new break. Sometimes when a tree is felled it hits a rock or something hard and that can propagate in, cross grain. We used to call that thunder shakes.
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Offline DC

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2015, 04:49:16 pm »
He rubbed CA into the cracks. The discoloration could be from that. CA is clear but fingers usually have a bit of dirt on them ;)
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Offline PlanB

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2015, 04:51:53 pm »
Oh okay, missed the CA part.
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Offline bowandarrow473

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Re: Small cracks in back of bow.
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2015, 08:08:42 pm »
I though he was talking about the channels, I didn't even see that crack. Sorry to say but that's probably the last hundred shots you should take with that thing :(
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Whatever you are, be a good one.
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