hang it up or let 'er blow?

[Lost Arra]

If you have a bow that you think may be on it's way to an instant takedown. Do you hang it up or let it break?

I've got a yew flat bow I made with the encouragement of some terrific bowyers/friends.
Mickey Lotz gave me the billets at Mojam a few years ago. Then Keith Bishop monitored my splicing at OJAM. (Thanks also to Ralph Renfro for the urac he had mixed for another project, one of many he has going at OJAM).
Mickey said yew made him sick and the billets, while marginal in quality, should be good for a nice kid's bow.
Well last summer I nursed that bow into a sweet shooting 68" 48 pounder with a rawhide backing. I know, I should have stuck with a kid's bow. 

It was shooting so well I had planned to take it hog hunting in a few weeks so today while out in the woods shooting I hear the ominous "tic".
Upon inspection I see a very small crack about 2" above the handle on one side of the limb edge less than a 1/16" of an inch into the sapwood.
The crack is tiny but I'm sure the bow is doomed. There is a knot in the general vicinity.

Sometimes if I've got marginal bow wood I'll make the bow and if it breaks I don't worry about it but this yew is so pretty I hate to watch 'er blow.
I don't want to hang up two splintered limbs so I guess I'll just retire it since the memories of it's construction are so good.
I guess I could try to re-tiller it into that kids bow.

Anyone else retire a bow for sentimental reasons or just explode 'em for research purposes?

[Timo]

Hey bud,shoot some super glue in the crack, let it dry,sand it off,then back it with  some thin rawhide . No need to hang it up.It ain't over til you say it is......I don't think it is?

[FlintWalker]

Before I let it blow or hung it up I'd put a healthy 2-1/2" wide wrap of sinew over it to hold the splinter down and keep shooting it.  It might not look as pretty...But it would look better than broke

[sailordad]

yup im with sawfiler on this one

[George Tsoukalas]

Fix it with superglue like Timo said. I hang them up when they start talking to me. That's about the only time. Jawge

[Lost Arra]

Crack is above the arrow pass where the little blip in the sapwood is.



When I zoom in on this photo it looks like the crack may be heading into the heartwood. 
You think superglue might help??

[Timo]

You already have rawhide on the back? If so than I would also opt for the sinew wrap.

Or you could retiller it lighter and remove some of the strain in that area.(still need a patch of some kind)

[FlintWalker]

On second thought...I'd hang her up.

[denny]

jerbowden here I would most definitely hang it up because of its beauty. The life of all things here on earth end at onetime or another. The pleasure of building is where your yew friend began and it seems its usage has ended. sorry , to salvage good memories, build another.

[bigcountry]

That one will definately blow.  Even with the rawhide, its going to fold.  I myself could not go on shooting her knowing anytime it might fall apart.  Another option is to remove the rawhide, and put an overlay over that area.  I did it with a bow and it was great. 

[medicinewheel]

On second thought...I'd hang her up.

dido. - this REALLY looks critical!!!
f.

[Timo]

How long is this bow?

Sorry, but I'm not one to have un-usable bows laying around,Ifin they won't shoot I either give them to those who collect or figure out a way to make them shoot.  Or chopsaw them.  (sentimental fella eh?)

I'd probly cut it down,splice it back together and give it to a kid.

[artcher1]

There's a lot that one can't read from just looking at your pic but do you think it's possible to cut out that crack(s) and splice in a new piece of wood.  It appears like you have a knot there which caused the crack in the first place. If you could kind of follow the swirl of the grain around the knot (to the inside of the knot) and slice in a new section it just might hold with a good wrap. Maybe just hit that section (at a angle) with a drum sander and see what you have there. At this point I really don't think you have anything to lose.

ART B

[Pappy]

I'm with Timo ,I would try and fix it or cook brats with it.I Don't hang them around just to look at if they don't work. There are several good ideas here that I would probably try, then if it got worse I would burn it.
   Pappy

[nickf]

remove the rawhide, patch it with sinew, than get the rawhide over it again.. best thing you can do...

I feel sorry for you bud!

Nick