Can I save it???????

[flounder pounder]

I just finished my second red oak board bow this afternoon, ( first one blew up ). Well every thing was gonig great and after about 20 full draw shots, I noticed my handle begin to seperate from the bow. I glued the handle with Tite bond 3 about two months ago so I dont know what happened. I unstrung it and squeezed some more glue into the cracks and clamped it. I guess my question is can this bow be saved? Is there anything else I can do to keep my handle from popping off? 

[Justin Snyder]

Im afraid to tell you we have seen this a hundred times before. Many bowyers new and experienced have had this problem. If the wood flexes at all in the handle, the glued on part usually comes off. It will probably come off again. You can try wrapping it with rawhide and hope that when it shrinks it will be tight enough to help, but I wouldn't put any money on it.  Justin

[Jesse]

What Justin said Also you could build up the handle with leather instead of wood. I wrapped one once with strong fishing line like spider wire after one started to separate and it kept it on but looks really ugly

[islandpiper]

Could be that your handle is really stiff, too.   Try tapering it and leaving it thin so that it might also flex a little.


piper

[Little John]

I was afraid one might pop off so glued and then wraped with gut hafting material set in titebond three. Still holding.

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[david w.]

yep happened to me with yellow wood glue.  I didnt mess around and reglued it with epoxy.  never had another problem

[smokeu]

I used a rawhide dog chew to wrap a handle back on and held like a champ. ( i glued it on with TB3)

[flounder pounder]

Thanks guys for all of the suggestions, Im going to try wrapping it with artificial sinew and soaking it with TB 3. I hope it holds, this is the first bow Ive made that has held together. It get a little frustrating putting all that time into building a bow and it breaks.

[Pat B]

A better option than artificial sinew would be hemp cord from the craft section at Wally World. Very strong and when set in Massey finish it is indestructible and makes for a good handle grip. 

[mullet]

 Like Pat said. Artificial sinew is waxed and the glue will just lay on top. Use the hemp and soak it in watered down TB3, wrap it tight and let it dry. Then you can brush on the Massey finish or more coats of TB3.