Osage linear cracks

[arkdoc]

ok guys.  My first bow that I have made and been shooting for a while, sorry haven't posted pics yet just waiting on the finish.  Anyways, I noticed today that there are hairline linear cracks that go about 1-2 inches along the length of the bow just in the middle above the handle.  It is a bend through the handle bow.  I read that osage is notorious for this and this doesn't affect a thing, but I guess I was just wanting some added extra conformation.    Also, should I do anything at all like super glue?  Thanks guys.

[BOWMAN53]

you can put some thin superglue and clamp it if itll make you feel better

[okie64]

Im confused, Are the cracks running longitudinally up and down the limb or sideways across the limb. If they are running across the limb they are frets(compression fractures) but thats pretty rare with osage. If they are running north and south then they are drying checks or wind checks. If thats what they are and they dont run off the side of the limb they will probably be fine. You could do as bowman suggested and squirt some runny superglue in them and even wrap them with thread soaked witb superglue. A picture would help determine the best suggestion

[Bogaman]

If they are in the middle part of the bow I usually fill with super glue. If they run off the side of the bow I fill with super glue then wrap with sinew and hide glue or string material adding super glue as I wrap.

[arkdoc]

they are not horizontal.  They run length wise.  They are very thin and do not run off the edge of the bow.  Would ya'll fill with super glue?

[Slackbunny]

they are not horizontal.  They run length wise.  They are very thin and do not run off the edge of the bow.  Would ya'll fill with super glue?

Yep. I have at least two bows that have those same cracks. Both were hophornbeam. Filled with superglue and they are both still shooting fine.

I have had them cause trouble on one bow when I heat treated it (also HHB). The heat caused one crack to propagate and it ran off the side and then cracked all the way through the limb. I use that would-be bow to test different finishes now.

[arkdoc]

Ok thanks guys.  I filled with super glue and let it dry. 

[mikekeswick]

Remember that these checks occur because you are not working with dry enough wood.

[Eric Krewson]

If your bow is shooting you should have some finish on the back at least, this will stop future checking. Filling cracks with superglue will stop them, no need to clamp anything just fill them until you have a puddle of glue on top of the limb. Scrape the puddle off after the glue dries.

I had some very dry osage in my garage one time, it had been cut for years and had no sealer on the back. We had a day when the relative humidity dropped to a fraction of what it normally averaged and my wood checked. The strange thing is I looked at the wood a week or so later after the humidity had returned to normal and all the cracks had closed to the point that they were invisible.

[arkdoc]

Yeah, I have had the bow finished for a while, but coming into summer and we are getting the first dry warm days to happen right now, so it might be a drop in humidity.  I filled them and let them dry since yesterday.  I will scrape them and I have some tru oil coming in today or monday and I will put a finish on the bow to protect it.