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Failures

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Kidder:
I thought it would be interesting to start a thread on bow failures and why they fail. I know we all want to see the successes but it’s probably way more important to analyze the failures than the successes. In particular late stage failures where the bow is shooting or close and somehow fails. I’ll go first.
Here is a boo backed Osage bow that fretted on a tiny pin knot that popped up on the side of the limb. During the built the pin showed itself. I tried to get under it and thinned it too much. Rather than leaving it thick I left it thin trying to get rid of it. There is no visible hinge (or wasnt) and it’s been shot probably 1000 times but it’ll likely fail at some point. As a result of this experience (and another involving a boo yew) I’ve decided that I much prefer flat sawn boards for board bows - that way any pins run back to belly opposed to across the belly.
Let’s see some other failures and the analysis of “why”.

bjrogg:
Great idea kidder.

I know I have certainly learned from them.

I’ll have to look back and see if I can find some pictures.

Bjrogg

Hamish:
It's still probably got plenty of life left in it. Keep an eye if it starts to hinge or if the chrysal gets longer, then you know it's on its way out.

The only ways you can get around those knots is to leave a compensatory lump on the belly from the start of tillering, or cut out the section and inlet a new piece of osage.

bjrogg:
I couldn’t find any pictures, but my first bow definitely thought me some lessons from my mistakes.

It was a White Ash flat bow. I actually did a half ways decent job making it. The tiller was far from perfect but it was probably long enough and a short enough draw that I think it would have survived.

It had a little twist in it and I was sure that it needed to be removed. So I had two little propane torches. Myself with one on the belly and my brother with one on the back. I was going to heat it up like a piece of steel and get that twist out.

It still somehow survived for a couple weeks but it developed a hinge where the back was scorched.

I however had total confidence in it.

I took it to a neighbors shop that a bunch of old timers friends of mine had coffee at every Saturday morning.

They already kinda thought I had a screw loose with all my flintknapping and bows & arrows stuff.

I was as going to show them

I strung my bow all the while they were saying don’t do it it’s going to break.

I drew it to my normal anchor a couple times and everything was fine. Then with total confidence I drew it to my ear and heard craaack. Followed by a shop full of laughter.

Yeah I learned several lessons from that one.

Bjrogg

bjrogg:
One time I made a really sweet little ash bow for my grandson. It was tiller really well and the little arrows that I made for it flew like darts.

I decided to cut an arrow shelf in it for my grandson to be easier for him to shoot. As I finished the shelf and picked up the bow to string it I realized I had the shelf on the wrong side. Still looking for a left handed kid who can use a 15 lb bow.

Bjrogg

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