Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: leif on May 28, 2019, 01:33:15 am

Title: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: leif on May 28, 2019, 01:33:15 am
there I was finishing with applying perry reflex linen backing for my first time, I heard a series of tiny cracks. after 1h the bow decided to crack on belly side. see picture below. first reaction was to laugh  (lol)
 I'm gonna try to glue it back just for the experience. (I used hide glue for backing.)
in this situation is it better to use hide glue or a slow curing epoxy ? I have no previous experience with epoxy so I don't know if it's runny enough to go deep into the crack. Cyanoacrylate is runny enough but I think it's gonna take me more than 5min to apply, fit and clamp, I don't want to be hasty.

I haven't bought epoxy to test yet because I can't find any near me....
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Ryan Jacob on May 28, 2019, 01:45:00 am
I don’t think any glue can fix that. Maybe a belly patch would work.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: leif on May 28, 2019, 02:01:55 am
@ Ryan Jacob    I try to be an optimist :P I see it as a kind of splice joint, if v-splices work why not this?
after glueing it I'm gonna see what I can do with a belly patch and maybe thicken the backing at that spot to keep it stiff.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: simson on May 28, 2019, 02:35:59 am
Looking at that crack I would say this is no bowwood or it is too dry. Have you induced reflex with the heatgun? Is this red oak or black walnut?

Through this piece to the firewood and make a fresh bow, don't waste your energy.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: leonwood on May 28, 2019, 05:21:46 am
What Simon said, don't waste your time on this one and start a new bow! Another thing, you might want to read up on perry reflex a bit. Glueing linen to the back of a bow with reflex is not perry reflex and will not help the performance of a bow either. Linnen will only help prevent lifting splinters so next time just glue it on straight.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Eric Krewson on May 28, 2019, 05:23:10 am
I have repaired more bows than most folk here but have learned there is a point where it can't be done and make a dependable shooter. Your bow has reached that point.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Hawkdancer on May 28, 2019, 09:35:33 am
Wrap it with bright colored thread and hang it on the wall!  Looks like that "crack" is almost a complete break!
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: leif on May 28, 2019, 10:47:59 am
i couldn't wait, i just used hide glue . now we wait...
it was difficult to bent it back to close the gaps. yeah i don't think it will make it but that doesn't mean i won't try. I have experienced tension breaks but never a compression break. this will become a working bow or my first compression break on a tiller tree.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: George Tsoukalas on May 28, 2019, 12:09:56 pm
Looks awfully  thick to bend. I would  say it is over for that stave. Jawge
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Russ on May 28, 2019, 12:17:30 pm
oh man that looks bad. I dont know what you can do. rawhide bandaid?
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: PatM on May 28, 2019, 02:26:10 pm
i couldn't wait, i just used hide glue . now we wait...
it was difficult to bent it back to close the gaps. yeah i don't think it will make it but that doesn't mean i won't try. I have experienced tension breaks but never a compression break. this will become a working bow or my first compression break on a tiller tree.

 It is a tension break.  You've just broken it on the compression side.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Bryce on May 28, 2019, 05:14:15 pm
Just splice in a new limb. Or start over...
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: bradsmith2010 on May 28, 2019, 06:47:33 pm
 :NN
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: gutpile on May 29, 2019, 06:51:15 am
toast.. not worth fooling with ...gut
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: sleek on May 29, 2019, 10:58:21 am
Hide glue was a solid choice. However. If you didnt get those pieces back perfectly, you will hear the bow crackle then snap right there when you bend it.
Title: Re: Broken limb- what Glue?
Post by: Eric Krewson on May 29, 2019, 12:09:03 pm
I tried to repair two osage bows with similar breaks, I used urac glue and a superglue soaked serving thread wrap to put them back together, both failed in short order. Both of these bows had over 200K shots through them when they broke, the owners shot them almost every day, one for 5 years and one for 8 years before they blew. The one that shot his for 8 years stopped every day at a public range on his way home from work and put 100 arrows plus through it. If he shot it 300 days a year that's 240,000 shots. Osage is amazing!