Bow crack please advice

[kayakfisher]

This is a bow that I have been working on , it is pretty well done tillered and all took it out shot it in [shoots rather well] at least where you point it. waiting for black snake skin to come in mail to Finnish it. picked it up and noticed a crack in the upper limb filled it with super glue and let it dry. picked it up to put coat of varnish on it And Ill be danged another crack they are running with  the grain in the wood the bow is rawhide backed please talk to me
                                                                    Dennis

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[Pat B]

Sounds like drying cracks(checks. Seal the back and let it rest for a while. If you have masking or packing tape it will work as a temporary seal. Shellac would be better and you can add the snake skins and a finish over it with no problems. Actually sealing the back before adding the snake skin will prevent the moisture from the glue from getting into the wood.      Pat

[kayakfisher]

this bow is rawhide backed the cracks are on the belly
                                                     Dennis

[Keenan]

 Dennis, How about some more info on your bow.  What kind of wood? Green cut or cured? Branch ,Board or normal stave? And a few clearer pics would help to. Hope we can help.  Keenan

[kayakfisher]

The wood is Osage ,bought these billets last winter said they had been sitting in the garage for a while. Bought them off Ebay for $10.00 plus nine in shipping, they were pretty dry no cracks at that time. Steamed them to shape limbs let sit for awhile to dry out sized back with tite bond 3 applied rawhide backing bow is done except for finnal finnishing took out shot around at archery range with it last Saturday picked it up yesterday noticed the crack in upper limb supered glued it let dry picked it up to varnish it noticed another crack apeared  this is how they appear on limb..................................................................................................
                                                                                   .........................
                                                                    ................

...
crude schematics but affective
                                                                               Dennis

[Keenan]

 Thanks Dennis, It dose'nt sound like anything that you've done to cause the cracks. So,metimes those ebay staves and billets are still a little green. I'm wondering if the the climate change from where they were sent from to where you are is enough to be a factor. Or possibly if it has wider limbs if the drying of the rawhide is pulling on the belly?  Besides all that, alot of times longitude tupe cracks will hold together with the super glue and the bows often survive. Maybe some others will jump in here that have more experience with osage.  Keenan

[Ryano]

When you steam wood your reintroducing moisture to it. I heard alot of people complain about seasoned osage dry checking after steaming it. I've never had the problem myself but I tend to only steam it when its green and use dry heat when its already dry.

[PK]

I thought I was far sided without my glasses

[El Destructo]

Dennis....first off ....the Pictures SUCK  And secondly...are these cracks running longitudinally?? (the length of the Bow)...if so unless they are all the way to the tips....these will be fine I would bet....just fill them with Crazy Glue and let them dry I have lots of Staves of Osage that have done this...especially ones that have fine growth rings...don't have a clue if this had anything to do with it or not....but they are all still shooting fine....lets see some clearer pictures....even if you have to send bigger files to my email.....

[Pat B]

You also added moisture with the TBIII and inadvertently sealed the moisture into the wood with the cured TBIII.  As Keenan said, maybe the rawhide drew the belly apart as it dried on the back. Jay Massey described this with sinew backed bows using dry osage.    Pat

[Pappy]

I would say it it is drying checks,like Ryan said I like to know how old it is before steaming,
old wood will check sometime with steam and green will check with dry heat.I would super
glue the checks and put it some where not to dry and not to humid,like just in the house
and let it stabilize and then seal it up.As long as it don't run off the edge it most likely won't
hurt anything.I have several with checks in them.
    Pappy