Is this fret/chrysal the end of the line for this bow?

[Juniper]

This is my second attempt at a higher poundage bow.  It is 64" tip to tip, 1 7/8" to mid limb, aprox. 65#@27-28", Red Oak board backed with deer rawhide.  I've shot this bow over 100 times and didn't notice this until I was doing some finish sanding.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I have highlighted the crack with a pencil in a couple of the pics.  Thanks

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Juniper]

Here is another pic showing the location of the crack.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Pat B]

Not necessarily. Can we see a pic of your bow at full draw? It is bending more at that area than the surrounding areas probably.    You might be able to patch it with a raw hide patch like was done on another thread.    Pat

[George Tsoukalas]

Next time I'd go 68 ntn for that kind of weight. Pat is on to something because  when the chrystals are in one spot they are caused by the tiller being off. Jawge

[Juniper]

Thanks, guys.  I'll post a couple more pics asap. 

[tom sawyer]

Its in a bad spot for a chrysal.  Right off the fades is a place where you have a lot of stress.  Apparently this spot was a little thinner than just outside it.  This is likely due to shaping the handle, its hard not to dig into the limb when you are doing this.

Not to say that it won't shoot many arrows (100s or even 1000), but eventually the bow is going to fold in that area.  Definitely fix the stiff spot just outside the area, to maximize your shooting.

[Juniper]

It seems as though I have another problem.  This crack did not appear until after some sanding had been done.  I can see that this bow will probably be another learning experience, so any suggestions on design, wood choice, tiller or even a miracle save would be awesome.  Am I getting the limb thickness too thin, too quickly out of the fades?  Should I taper the thickness more gradually?

Thanks

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Juniper]

Here is full draw.  Amazing how I can spot problems in this pic, that I could not see with just my eye. 

[attachment deleted by admin]

[tom sawyer]

The big problem I see is your fades get too thin before they get full width.  A fade ought to transition from skinny/thick, to wide/thin.  Going thin/skinny is disaster.  And you only want the bow to start bending about 1" outside of the fades, not in the fades themselves.  Your bow is bending into the fades, thats why the scrack is showing.  Where the crack is, wood fibers are ending.  I'm  speaking from experience, had a bow or two blow on the tiller tree from bending into the fades.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Yeah, bending way to much in the fades , the bow is not done for, but you have to lose some pounds ....and I would round those corners a lot, not just on this bow but on the future ones too

[Juniper]

Thanks for the help.  I'll pay more attention to that particular area in my next one. 

[Juniper]

Nomad,

Would you round the corners on both back and belly, and would you round them before backing or after?

Thanks

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Yeah both back and belly, to make almost an oval cross section, If you check my Red oak bow posted  you'll see what I mean,...my bows are pretty much shaped by the time I put the backing on, check the thread "My first bow......", should still be in the first 4 or 5 pages

[tom sawyer]

If you wanted to save this bow, I'd cut off the handle, glue on a 12" piece of 1/8"-thick stock and then glue a handle block that extends all the way over the fades, then retiller.  Might be easier to make another bow, but this fix would beef up the weak area and get you back in business.

[Pappy]

When I lay a bow out I always mark about an inch out from the fads and leave that
till the final tillering,it is very easy to get that bending to much right off the bat.And
if it bends there where you have violated the longitudinal grain for the handle it will
splinter up. Lesson learned the hard way,SEVERAL times. Hard headed,or slow learner
I guess. 
   Pappy