Houston we got a problem! Backing split and question

[mtbow]

Building a board bow with red oak belly and hickory backing.  Building pretty much the same bow as "My first wooden bow" article in TBB vol.4.  Anyway I seemed to be doing ok.  Tillering was looking to be on track.  But when I was on a short string, brace at about 5", when I was looking at the bow bending and I started to hear a crack at about 15".  Included in this post is the pic.   Is there any fix for this issue?  Pull the backing off? Just don't know.  Or cut into pieces and throw in the backyard firepit and enjoy a good whisky while staying warm.     FWI, the backing is 1/8' thick and glued with Titebond3. 

Thanks,
Marlowe

[Pat B]

The hickory is rotten. Hickory doesn't break like that unless it was weakened somehow.
 I would remove the backing and find a better one. TBIII will release at 150 deg. (F).

[Eric Krewson]

I backed an erc bow with a strip of hickory that I cut from a green board right out of the sawmill, it had been in my shop for ten years. My hickory strip failed as well, it had no runout and was as good a piece as I could have put on a bow.

Backings from the same board on other bows have never failed.

[Pappy]

Yep I would have that fire and Whiskey and say farewell to that piece. Dry rotted I would say. I always like to make a little test piece and do a little bend test if the wood has any questions about it before proceeding with a bow.
 Pappy

[mtbow]

I think I'm with Pappy on this bow.   As an experiment only I will try to separate the backing per Pat B.   Or if the backing comes off easy enough it might make a kids bow.

Thanks,
Marlowe