Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Prarie Bowyer on October 13, 2014, 12:36:42 am
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I'm loving working in the elm. Unfortunately I've yet to make a working bow without some issue BUT the wood I harvested was sawn from a banana shaped log.
I'm using it as practice to get a sense of working with steam bending and raw hide backing. Loving the possibilities. Steam bends like a dream.
So I straightened out a board and spliced it. Then sawed out a straighter blank for a recurve project. One side was just in from a side I tried to split when it was a log. No split but bent my steel wedge. Hoped it was slight side damage and lifted fibers.
When I sawed the belly thickness I found a pair of belly cracks that had been hidden. I went ahead and tried to put in a Pearl Drums style bend and dang it it came out awesome! Almost 5/8" bent around a quart paint can radius for 90* bend.
So I went full on denial and tb3 glued the cracks and clamped them.
Is there some scenario where a belly crack is not necessarily fatal? Can this be fixed or patched to get a shooter? Possibly leave it thick and give it a rawhide collar wrap? Or sinew? I'm not as keen on the Torge's patches. But it might work in this wood.????
My crack runs 1/2 way across the belly at a diagonal.
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I think you're going to have to file them out and glue in some dowels of the same wood, bonus points if you can make the dowel from the same tree.
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You probably never will make a working selfbow with out some issues, that is the nature of the beast,been doing it for years and haven't yet,just have to over come them when you can.Still looking for that prefect piece of wood. :) Love to see some pictures of the cracks,how deep are they/where they are at and such before I make any suggestions. :)
Pappy
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If these belly cracks run along the limbs then they can be fixed easily enough. Across the limbs not so much so
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Did a dog bone rawhide wrap and an upholstery wrap on the other. Seems to be holding but the bow came out 25#. Won't want the bow now. It is set up left handed.