Popped the handle! *sigh*

[Stringman]

I guess that was just inexperience. Thought I was gonna be able to avoid that, but it looks like there was too much bend close to the fades and the beautiful mesquite handle I had just couldn't hold under the pressure.

So I changed directions and laminated a leather handle in its place.

The question now is: having used tb3, will this hold up to normal use. I've heard of saturati g the handle with superglue after shaping it. What is the purpose of that? I guess I will need to wrap it now to make it look better.

Scott

[bubby]

i dont saturate mine with super glue, i just seal it with the same sealer that i use on the bow, Bub

[Bryce]

I've read that if you put in a cork spacer that it can handle a little bit of a bend. But I'm not sure bc I've never done it.
Has anyone tried that?

-Pinecone

[BOWMAN53]

I would say to be safe, for a 7" handle I would use a 6" glue on riser. That way you have an extra half inch on both sides for fade in. I think it makes the handle look more natural too.

[turtle]

Hate to see it didnt hold. Soaking the leather in superglue makes the leather hard enough to file and sand to a smoother finish.

[Hamish]

What did you use to glue on the mesquite handle before it lifted? If it was Titebond 3, I have had the same problem. Urac, or a really good quality bow epoxy are the best options for gluing wooden risers.
                   Hamish.

[bubby]

unless it's old or got frozen or real hot it's not the glue, all the tightbonds work great on bows, maybe you starved the joint by clamping it to hard or like you said it's just bending to much at the fades, never had a problem poping rizers or tips or anything else with tb2 or tb3, Bub

[BOWMAN53]

Tite bond 2 is amazing. I used it to glue on a riser and I ended up breaking the bow so just for fun I tried to see if I could get it off. I tried a hammer and wedge, slamming it on the corner of a cement block and I only managed to get chips of wood off. Every once in awhile I go back and give it a whack and to this day the riswr is still glued on.

[blackhawk]

screw that handle...looks like its taken care of to me and i wanna see more of those sexy tips 

[Stringman]

What did you use to glue on the mesquite handle before it lifted? If it was Titebond 3, I have had the same problem. Urac, or a really good quality bow epoxy are the best options for gluing wooden risers.
                   Hamish.

I did use Tb3 but I had a good glue line and the joint was t starved. I'm gonna work on the tiller a little more and make sure that I get it bending a little more midlimb. This is how it looks currently.

[sharpend60]

You dont have to wrap the handle now that you have leather palm swell.

As you've heard, soak it in CA glue.
Then shape it just like wood.
Take it to a high grit and burnish.
Classic look.

You can churn out some very nice looking handles.

For me, bow building is all about problem solving.
Just cause you're handle poped doesnt mean its the end of the world. Mayhaps you like the way a leather handle looks...

[sharpend60]

You posted while I was typing!
But

Your tiller is looking okay...

The right limb is stiff in the bottom picture, perhaps ya can post an un-braced profile shot?
And a couple more specs?

You've got a D/R tiller going on.

[lesken2011]

I think you solved it. I have started putting leather built up handles on a lot of my bows and really like them. I love that half circle bend in the bendy handled bows. Yours is looking really good, by the way.

[Stringman]

Here it is unbraced. It is 64" t-t and right about 45# at full draw.


Thanks Lesken, I want to tweak it a bit tmw and see if I can fix a few stiff spots.

Scott

[blackhawk]

That one limb is hinged off the fade(hence handle popping),and you have a few other flat spots that need scraped...you will lose more than 5 pounds to correct all that..prob closer to ten...but it is osage and you can leave it less than ideal and perfect, and it'll hold up(sometimes)  but even tho its hedge and forgiving of tillering errors,I still like to have a good tiller before I seal it and call it done. Since its straight limbed use a tiller gizmo,it'll help you see all those flat spots