Bow blunders..........

[Sidewinder]

You guys crack me up. Come on JW I know you got a few good stories to tell. Don't be holdin back on us.

[Del the cat]

I'm pretty good with a bandsaw.  (Maybe, I should end my story here, you all would get the picture ).
Had a straighter than straight, primo osage stave.  Longitudinal grain so straight, I was able to draw the bow out with a yardstick.  All was going well; cut the first limb...looking good.  Turned the stave around and began my cut.  Got halfway through the second limb and realized that I was cutting my center line.   

Oh yes... done that one too.
I'm reading through hoping to find one I haven't done yet.
Most wasted effort was sawing down the length of a car leaf spring for a crossbow prod. Each limb was a series of 3 straight cuts.
On the second limb... I made the first cut and then went to saw off the scrap to help the saw cut to blend round into the next straight line.
Yup... I sawed off the limb tip.
Tough lesson when you are only about 12yrs old. Haven't done it since tho' (yet )

Oh yeah, one of the other posts reminded me of when I first tried the short draw hunting style that some of you guys use. As I loosed, my right hand jerked back and bust my lip. I'm not sure if that's the correct method
Del

[Pat B]

This bow(Shere Khan) had over 1000 shots through her when one night Evan Williams and I decided to make a 6 piece take down. A bow fully drawn is 9/10th broken. I think I hit 10/10ths on this one. 

[RBLusthaus]

That Evan Williams can't be trusted in good company, can he?  Bad influence on all who know him.  Russ

[tattoo dave]

Funny thread! So the first bow I attempted, I spent a pile of money on a floor tillered bamboo backed hickory bow. I was tillering away, dreaming of the day I would hunt with this awesome weapon. Had it on a tillering tree pulled back to about 20", trying to figure out my next move and the Wife busts the shop door open and says "we're late, we gotta go now" So I run out the door to make it to our appointment on time, and totally left it pulled back on the tree. Two hours later I make it home, so excited to get back at it, just to find it in pieces. Lesson learned...the hard way...again!

Tattoo Dave

[bushboy]

a while back i finished tillering one and was very excited to try it,shot really well and when i slip style unbraced it the string caught a splinter and split the tip very badly.managed to fix it but lesson learned

[JW_Halverson]

You guys crack me up. Come on JW I know you got a few good stories to tell. Don't be holdin back on us.

Well, there was there was that one trade bow I was finishing....Had it in the tillering tree and was leaning back on the rope, had it just about at full draw when it blew. I went over backwards when I stumbled on crap stacked on the floor, cracked my head, and got a concussion but was too stubborn/stupid to go to the hospital. Oh, and I have done everything else that has already been listed except throw out yew with too thick of rings or hedge with too thin of rings. 

[lebhuntfish]

Ok I have one that ain't been mentioned yet.

The first bow I ever tried to make for someone else I tillered it to 28 inches for safety reasons for the guy I was giving it to. Measured the weight at his draw length of 24" and adjusted it to 30 lbs for him. Everything was great.  It shot really nice at my draw length and at his. At this point I put about 200 arrows through it. I hadn't done a thing to the handle because I was having him come out and I was going to carve him a custom grip. The grip turned out great. He shot it about 10 times to see if the weight was right for him. Everything was good when he left. All I had to do was a little sanding and some stain and the finishing touches. So I started working on it the next day. Then I just had to shoot it a few more times because it was such a sweet shooter. About 3 shots in, at 24" I heard a small tic and then it exploded. The top limb flew about 30 feet behind me and landed in the street. I freaked out,  at first then calmly picked up the pieces and called my friend. He was very understanding and I felt better when I got off the phone. Then I picked up another bow I was working on, while bracing it the bottom limb cracked. I proceeded breaking it (rawhide backing held) I picked up the short piece and threw it at my privacy fence and it stuck in it. But left me a nice present, a 2" splinter that went all the way through my index finger. STUPID TEMPER TANTRUMS! Patrick

[Marks]

I've only seen 1 bow to full draw. This whole baby thing makes it hard to spend time in the garage. Once I got mine to full draw a couple of times I took it to show my uncle who is wanting to make one as well. My draw length is much longer than his and my cousins. I let my cousin try and pull it back and he couldn't. He is scrawny. My Granny wanted to try just to be funny. She got it back maybe 3 inches. I got it again and pulled and BOOM!!! The string on the nocks kept the top limb from hitting Granny but it hit my right in the pride. Luckily nothing but my feeling was hurt. Not really sure what my blunder was that broke it but I almost hit my Granny in the face. I would have never lived that down.

[DC]

Splicing these two billets together