My first build: Oak board kid's bow

[WhistlingBadger]

Got it scraped down to 20# @ 19".  Still a little stiff for the kiddo so we'll keep going.  Slowly, slowly...

[WhistlingBadger]

Best of times, worst of times:  The kiddo got to finally put a few arrows through her bow today.  She really likes it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzj-fsPg9HI

But I believe disaster has struck.  As I was unstringing her bow, I noticed this completely sinister looking crack in the lower handle fade.  It disappears when the bow is unstrung, which does not make me feel better.

100_0349 by Thomas Wilson, on Flickr

There is also a lengthwise crack down one side of the upper limb (I couldn't get a picture of it--my cheap camera won't focus on something that narrow I guess), running along the early growth part of a ring for about 10" or so.  It's very narrow; I stuck some superglue in it a few days ago and it doesn't seem to have gotten any worse.

So...can this bow be saved (and safe)?  Or do I chalk it up to learning experience and kindling?  If the latter, what do I learn from this?  What caused these cracks to form?

[WhistlingBadger]

Any help with this, gents?  I decided just to order the Badgerling a you-finish bow from 3rivers so she has something to shoot until I can make her one...but I'm really wondering what went wrong, here.  Any ideas?

[EdwardS]

Looks like a growth ring crack to me.  Some red oak is more ring-porous than others, owing to issues in how they grow and the specific species that it's from.

[DC]

Maybe got bent backward?

[WhistlingBadger]

Maybe got bent backward?

No, I never bent it backward and my daughter never used the bow without my supervision, so I don't think that happened.  Taylor (silentsniper) thought maybe my fades were too sudden and put too much pressure on it.  I also wonder if I just got a cruddy piece of wood.  In the closeup, that early wood looks really spongy.  Edward, is that what you're thinking?

[TimBo]

Sorry to see that, but it does look like the backing kept it from going kaboom!  In addition to the other comments, it looks like that area is not finished super smoothly - that can help avoid problems too.  Fades are a common failure spot since there is some grain violation as part of the design, which is why they need to be smooth and gradual.  There is definitely some variation in quality with bow wood, and red oak is no exception. 

[EdwardS]

Yup, that's what I was getting at.  The oaks on my property are teaching me all kinds of lessons about durability differences.  Just wish they'd look different.

[Eric Krewson]

Your handle to limb transition is much too abrupt, it also looks like you have grain runout in this area.

Your fades should look like this;