fixable? Post mortem please

[stuckinthemud]

So I'm floor-tillering an apple stave bendy-handle bow, everything seems to be going OK when there's a nasty tick sound.  I searched carefully, found nothing, carried on going, got it to brace with no more nasty surprises.  Before cutting in the nocks I cleaned up the back with some wire-wool and one inch past centre found the tiniest pin-knot (doesn't show on the belly) at one end of a crack 2mm deep and right across the bow on a diagonal line.  I only found it because the wire wool turned the crack grey with wool-dust.  I'm tempted to wick cyano into it and carry on but it does open up when the bow is flexed. Is a fix worth trying or should I bin it?  Thoughts?

[Sammakesbows]

It should be fixable. Put some glue and sawdust into it and it should be good.

[DC]

If this is the prod for your cross bow I don't think I would trust it. Short little thing like that would be pretty high stress I think. Also if it's opening enough for you to see that it's 2mm deep kinda gives me the willies.

[bownarra]

It sounds like its done. A diagonal crack running across the back, near the handle....

[Pat B]

Sounds like you got the center portion of the bow bending too early. I like to get both limbs bending evenly and together then bring the bend into the handle. Ideally I want to feel the handle bend only when I hit full draw.
 You may be able to save it if you reduce the limbs so the handle doesn't bend as the bow is drawn.

[stuckinthemud]

Hoping it will hold long enough to measure its draw weight so I can log the tapers . No I can't see inside the crack, but I can see how far around the crown it extends. It only opens a fraction of a mm. A draw length of 8.5 inch on a 34 inch lath is not so high stress but it will be held 18 inches right infront of my eyes. I guesss its on to mk 4 maybe I should abandon meane wood and raid my yew stash.

[stuckinthemud]

Yup, centre moving first.  Took everything to 19mm, thick,  heated out the reflex in one limb on Monday.  Centre moving a bit more than it should, knocked in both tapers down to 14mm thick at the tips mid thirds started to move nicely, centre still moving too much, tips not moving yet, started working the stave, wiggle, wiggle, tick, oh bother.......

[PatM]

It should be fixable. Put some glue and sawdust into it and it should be good.

 I would use a strip of duct tape myself.

[stuckinthemud]

Well, been messing with it, the thing just wont snap, in fact some of the reflex has come back! The crack keeps opening, but less each time I glue it, now it opens so little I can't get a knife blade in when it fully opens. I'm thinking if it survives when I heat out the little bit of twist it has that I will back it with silk, sinew might add too much draw weight, but then crossbows really benefit from a sinew backing.....

[stuckinthemud]

Well, it did go bang, but not where you'd think. My glue repair is visible toward the top of rhe photo but the break is mid limb

[DC]

That is a very square deep initial break. I don't think I've seen a break quite like that. Did you know the history of the wood? Maybe that's just the way Apple breaks.

[Hawkdancer]

Knife scale, boba, and hide smoking time! !
Hawkdancer