locust frets....

[Fox]

So I've got this bow my favorite bow... I made it probably 2 years ago.... just a really simple locust bendy handle bow 57" long 45# @ 26"

But it had a few big thorn clumps and one lifted two big splinters... so maybe a year ago I just put super glue on it and wrapped it with dogbane and it held up for a while... but I really don't think its going to hold together any longer.... so I thought about pulling the sinew off my hickory bow that the belly failed on and putting it on this one...

Then I was scanning the belly for frets and found a few tiny ones, but Pat(?) or someone just sinewed an old locust bow with some frets (I believe?) and was wondering if it was worth a shot...

[Fox]

103432 by Livvydog, on Flickr

[Pat B]

Fox, tomorrow is 2 weeks since I sinew backed "Phoenix" so I'm going to take her off the form and see what's up. I'll be posting pics and a description of the results so far. I know I'll have to retiller and reduce weight but then I'll know for sure.
 If it's your favorite bow, why not keep it going. 

[bownarra]

If you added enough sinew to re-tiller and take the strain of the fretted areas.....A fret is a fret....and as such it is showing you that your tiller wasn't good enough. Address this and you may be ok!
However once a bow has been shot in and the belly compressed you can really make things go south by reflexing the bow and stretching an already compressed belly.....beware!
Also because sinew has such low stretch resistance you will have to add plenty for enough weight gain and of course sinew likes to be put on a reflexed bow to take addvantage of how far it can stretch....all in all for me its a bit of a waste of time. The best sinewed bow will be one that was designed that way from the start but you may learn something along the way by trying....there is no definate answer to your question really

[Fox]

Okay guys

Yeah the frets are only in about a 2” section on one limb and are really really tiny, I can only see them at the right angle of light..

It will be sad to cover up the beautiful back of the bow though. I’d rather it shoot though then have a splintered but pretty back 

So should I leave the splinters as are? Or pull them off and sand them down ? Or just sand them flat and sinew over them?

[Stixnstones]

How do I put this gently.... whenever I have had a back splinter, that bow is done. Not saying you cant put a bandaid on it and continue shooting it because you can. I'm just saying its time to pick out another stave start the journey over again and build a new favorite bow. Sorry, just being honest with ya.....

[Pat B]

I agree with Stix and like Bownarra said, frets are frets, small or big. If the bow can be retillered and the frets removed, and it the limb thickness is even you might get past the frets but is it worth it with this stick? Your call.

[George Tsoukalas]

About 30 years ago I made my first bow from black locust. It has the worse tiller and yes, I still have it. No frets. I even tried to cut through a knot. I didn't know what I was doing. Why is survived I'll never know..

...and so I decided to make my younger brother of eternal memory a bow from black locust so we could go deer hunting together. It was badly tillered and had frets.

Oh sure we had our Darton Ranger recurves but hunting with an all wooden bow was a far superior experience...or at least, we thought it would be. Of course, it is  for me now.

Well, unfortunately, his bow just folded up on him when he drew it. He was crushed. It wasn't his fault and I told him so.

Later on I made him bows and e went to shoots and hunted with them.

We enjoyed our time together. Bittersweet memories for sure. I do miss him.

Fox, I think your bow has too many things wrong with it and that you should make another and create more memories.

Jawge

[gutpile]

my experience with frets is ,they will eventually cause failure.. for whatever reason.. be it either bad tiller or simply not wide enough for the wood and poundage.. shoot it enough and it will fold or break.. personally I wouldn't waste sinew and time .. but it is your call brother.. gut

[Yooper Bowyer]

my experience with frets is ,they will eventually cause failure.. for whatever reason.. be it either bad tiller or simply not wide enough for the wood and poundage.. shoot it enough and it will fold or break.. personally I wouldn't waste sinew and time .. but it is your call brother.. gut

I have always retired bows before they could break from frets, but I can't imagine it would break violently from frets.  I always picture it folding over.  I do have one well tillered maple board bow that had a few wrinkles in the grain, and frets formed there, but they never got worse.  I retired after a year and a half it because it had 2" set.

[Fox]

Alright guys I’m getting the idea

Anyone got a locust stave to trade?

[Yooper Bowyer]

You're going to try locust again!!!

[Fox]

Try locust ? Yeah it’s my favorite wood I’ve used! 

[Yooper Bowyer]

But it always frets.

[Fox]

No? Over-stressing is what causes locust and all wood to fret. Whether that be from improper tiller or improper design. Locust can and does make some very, very fine bows.