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Author Topic: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot  (Read 8675 times)

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Offline Catahoula

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My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« on: October 10, 2009, 09:05:08 pm »
Hi,

I am building my first 68 inch osage self bow (with some help from a friend!!).  She is snakey...tillering out nicely...got the handle shaped today...chunked some arrows at "Bucky" my deer target and she is throwing them well...but...on the lower limb about halfway down I have a knot about half an inch from the edge...after chunking arrows I noticed four cracks each running around the knot and vertically down the bow (about 2 1/2 inches long at the longest).  My buddy suggested I leave it strung overnight to see if the crack would run further.  I have marked the cracks.  Should I fill the cracks with CA?  Wrap the bow with sinew?  I will try to post a picture.

Thanks for any thoughts!!!!

Rand

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Offline tombo

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2009, 09:22:05 pm »
HOLD YOUR BREATH AND THE CRACKS MAY NOT MATTER.  So long as they're on the belly and run with the grain, I've found that those little checks are mostly cosmeic. Just fill them with sealer to keep the moisture out.
Tom
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Offline Pat B

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2009, 10:50:40 pm »
Rand, I would put CA into the cracks and see how they act. Give the glue plenty of time to cure well.
Will you post pics if the bow braced and unbraced and the limb with the cracks.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline boo

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2009, 11:12:18 pm »
Rand, i have one that is ten years old and looked just like yours. I did like Pat said and i wrapped it in that area. Ive never had a problem with it.
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Boo

Offline Granite Mtn

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2009, 03:19:44 am »
You are holding your breath each time you draw the bow, wake up.  The cracks are there because you have protected the knot and the tree also protected it causing your bow to twist in the limb in a very short section; always remember wood grows so the tree survives not your bow.  C.A. glue will work not preferred, only with sinew wrap added.  Might consider silk back with sinew wraps as a permanent patch.  Half measures result in half a$$ work.  Each bowyer makes hundreds of decisions each bow, listen to to the wood, and yourself you Know the way.
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Offline Catahoula

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2009, 02:20:30 pm »
Pat,

How about I string her up so the cracks widen...apply ca then unstring her so the cracks come back together?  Let her dry for a day and then check string her up and report back.  Seems to me to apply the ca with the cracks open as much as possible (bow strung) would be the way to go.  What glue does a fellow use to apply a sinew wrap if that would help?

Granite...I know doddlesquat about bowmaking...now if you want a nice Native American style flute out of any type of wood I can "listen" to the wood just fine...but with bows I seem to be "tone deaf!!!!"  I have managed to wreck three so far!!!  So if this rascal wants to stay a bow then great...but if not it might turn into a flute!!!!:-)  Like the wrap idea and got a buddy with some fresh sinew.

Boo...thanks for the encouragement...I am gonna hunt with an osage eventually!

Rand
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Offline Pat B

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2009, 02:37:20 pm »
Rand, the glue will penetrate better if the cracks are open. All you can do is see what happens. If the bow is twisting near that area, you will have to deal with that also or no "fix" will fix it. A sinew wrap may have to be applied also. I generally chew sinew when I use it on arrows with no added glue. Chewing the sinew makes it's own glue. For this application you may want hide glue(or Knox gelatin) for the wrap. After is cures out a good sealer over the wrap is warranted. I would add a thin layer of TBIII  and let it cure then finish the bow as usual.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2009, 04:44:09 pm »
I would do what Pat said. Glue it and then sinew wrap it. Jawge
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2009, 05:04:41 pm »
After the sinew dries, I would like to see, an unbraced, braced and a dull draw picture. Those look like drying cracks to me. They may have been present but got bigger as you made the bow. How dry was the stave? Jawge
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2009, 05:53:13 pm »
If that is what the bow looks like unbraced then I would not only run some Ca glue in the cracks but I would clamp it as well
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Offline Catahoula

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2009, 09:06:52 pm »
Ok,

Pat will do the ca then the sinew...have to get up with my buddy to get the sinew.  The picture was with the bow braced...the crack nearest the knot is the largest and the only one really open when unbraced.  I will post pictures when the sinew is done.  Thanks for all the info guys!!!!

Rand
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Offline Dano

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2009, 09:12:58 pm »
Is that picture the back or the belly?
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Nevada

Offline Catahoula

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2009, 05:18:07 pm »
Dano,

It is the back.  It's got ca now and sinew will follow on Friday after some sinew is cleaned up from a buck taken yesterday (wish I could say it was mine but not this time).

Rand
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Offline Dano

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2009, 05:37:12 pm »
Just a helpful hint, next time chase the growth ring a little better around your knots, scraping them flat will cause problems. Done properly the knot should be proud of the back. Don't think that caused these cracks, probably just drying checks.
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Nevada

Offline Catahoula

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Re: My first osage self bow...cracks around knot
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2009, 10:14:16 pm »
Dano,

Thanks...will try to do.

Rand
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