belly cracks

[George Tsoukalas]

Those look like chrysals to me, my friend unless you have not started tillering. Then I could be coaxed into believing they were done by bending.
I've been there too.
I can tell you how to handle them once we've ascertained how they were caused.
Jawge

[PatM]

A tension failure cannot be a compression failure despite the similar look.

[George Tsoukalas]

True, Pat. That's why I'd like to know if he was tillering. Jawge

[DarkSoul]

The jagged edges are a clear indicator that it is a tension failure and not a chrysal.

[bambule]

This crack is crack not chrysals. As DarkSoul said, the jagged edges are the clear indicator. This happens to me sometimes when there is a heavy bending with dry heat for some side correction. Most on Elm an BL, never seen on Osage.

[PatM]

Oh it happens with Osage, even more readily according to the pieces I have tried heat on.

[SLIMBOB]

Yep. Happens a bunch on Osage. Usually toward the tips. Can generally tiller it out and if I can't it is rarely a concern. Fill with ca glue and move on is what I would do. This is assuming it's not real deep.

[tom sawyer]

The jagged edges are a clear indicator that it is a tension failure and not a chrysal.

That was my thought too.  Cracked during heat bending, it happens when it isn't hot enough or when you are really going for a big correction on a whoop-de-do or something.  You'll notice this happened near the end of a growth ring where that ring was pretty thin.  Also looks like there might've been a little hump right there, that focuses a lot of stress in a small area.  If the crack is only in that ring, you could scrape it on down and get rid of it.

[RedBear1313]

I already know it's not going to be at the weight that I originally wanted.

So know I'm hoping for 40-45  lbs.

It's 63 in., and it's 1 3/8" wide at that point.

I was just reading yesterday through the 1st vol. Trad. Bowyers Bible in the section on glue and backing, and it stated that often when you back a bow with sinew the shrinking might cause cracks in the belly such as the ones I have.

So as of now I'm not going to worry too much about it.

[Pat B]

The cracks in the belly from sinew run with the grain, not across it. The sinew actually pulls the grain apart as it dries.

[Danzn Bar]

Redbear,
Just got through with a sinew back osage that the belly cracked from drying, and it's shooting!....after fixing a crack that had nothing to do with the sinew issue.
Here is a pic of the crack that the sinew caused...................

[PatM]

Sinew causing cracking of the belly is entirely different as the above pic shows.

[RedBear1313]

I was not, and have not yet tillered this bow.

I was using oil and a heat gun to correct some bend.

[Pat B]

I think you just didn't get it hot enough. Work the heat gun slowly. Sometimes I'll heat an area until it is to hot to touch, wrap in aluminum foil for a few minutes to allow the heat to sink in and heat again with the heat gun. I also heat as I am clamping and occasionally go back and heat more.
 I also noticed on a stave I previously worked on with poor early/late ratio that it cracked easily with little heated bending. It also dented badly where I clamped it.

[soy]

I would not sinew as it pulls into reflex  which will open that crack even further and possibly break it in half...unless you can get under the damaged area....I would play the safe route and do a torges patch ( sorry if I spelled his name wrong) but I'm a sissy like that lol