creaky bow... FIXED w/ pics

[Josh]

I was tillering a hickory backed hickory board bow tonight.  I just went from low brace to full brace, put it back on my tillering tree, pulled it to weight and it went *tick*

...I immediately stopped tillering, pulled the bow off the tree and carefully inspected the back, belly, and sides of the bow looking for   the tell-tale signs of a splinter lifting and there was none.  I put it back on the tree and again *tick*...
I took the bow down and checked it again....   nothing.

I've isolated the noise to somewhere in my bottom limb or handle riser.  Can't figure out exactly where it is coming from.  I have pulled the bow at LEAST a thousand times now since the first *tick* and after awhile of exercising it starts to go CREEAAAAK with every pull.  I checked my handle riser and backing strip and the glue lines are still as good as they were when I first glued this bow up.  (I used TBIII).

I finished out the tiller on it and want really bad to shoot it in but every time I aim and draw that *tick* noise really messes me up.

Has anyone else heard of such a mess?  What can I do to stop the noise?  It is really unsettling to say the least.  Hard to hit what you are looking at with this kind of distraction.    Thanks for looking please help!!  -josh   

[sailordad]

what kind of woods etc.?

i had recently made a hick board bow with a paduak handle,used tbIII glue.
same thing,short brace was fine on the tree.full brace pulled once,tick.
cou;dnt figure it out.
said what the hell i'll keep goint till she blows.
2-3 days later i had it in the rubber jaws of my vise and what to my eyes do i see
the glue line on the hndle seperated.
could be whats happening
i took it apart,cleaned it well and used 2 ton epoxy

[radius]

that happened to me before too.  I don't like add on handle risers of one big chunk of wood.  Inevitably, SOME flex of the bow being drawn makes its way up the fades.  I'm not sure if you built up your riser with several thin pieces or one piece, but i've never had any problems with the first method:  maybe 1/8 " thick, stepping down the length with each one. 

[rattlesnake]

yeah check string groves,....open them up a bit and make sure they are no tansitions[high-low spots]..also i have had extra wax on string will stick to limbs and make the same noise on recurves/semi recurves..snake

ps...be carefull and after checking all situations give bow a workout in tiller tree to be safe...

[Josh]

Thank you for all your replies!  I glued on a thin piece of red oak last night that extends past the handle riser on the back of the bow.  It is around 1/16th of an inch thick at the fades and tapers into the back about 1.5 inches out past the fades.  If the handle was causing the creaking/ticking I am hoping this will help reinforce this area from bending as much.  I used TBIII since it bends a little when fully dry. I will let ya know how it works.  Wish me luck!  -josh

[VenomBOWslinger]

What Radius said is correct even without seeing ur bow...U used a one piec handle for riser and ur bow although dont see or feel like it has givin flex in the riser causing a tic in the glue joint...in board bows its probably safe to say u should build up handle with layers of thin pieces or use like leather then wood or just wrapp it with hemp or sinew or bailing twine I dont care!!!

Cheers!!!

[Barrage]

What Radius said is correct even without seeing ur bow...U used a one piec handle for riser and ur bow although dont see or feel like it has givin flex in the riser causing a tic in the glue joint...in board bows its probably safe to say u should build up handle with layers of thin pieces or use like leather then wood or just wrapp it with hemp or sinew or bailing twine I dont care!!!

Cheers!!!

Not necessarily, although it could be.  Most of my bows had one large piece of wood glued on (nothing fancy for glue, ordinary yellow carpenters glue) and I have never had ticking or a delam (yet:)).

[bigcountry]

I had this problem, and it was the string grooves.  I didn't cut them out to have any transisition for the string loop to move when drawn.

Also the loops were making noise moving.  I bet this is your problem.

[bigcountry]

I had one make noise as the string moved in the string groove. I cut the string groove at about 45 degrees  and didn't upen the back to allow for string travel. Every time it was drawn it would make a tick from the string getting hung up in the string groove. More of a tick sound than a creak.

I see someone else had the same problem I did.

[Josh]

Thanks again guys.. I havent really put much effort into the tips yet... Was just using some roughed out string grooves.  I glued on the tip overlays last night at the same time I put the extra handle riser backing piece.  I will shape everything out tonight when I get home from work and see what she does.   Thanks again everybody!     -josh

[Tom Leemans]

My first hickory board bow (my first wood bow ever) creaked a little when drawing. The limbs would twist in oposite directions as I drew, but would recover to dead straight when released. The string was creaking in the grooves on that one. Sadly, it met it's demise when I was shooting from the garage out to the target in the drive one day. CRACK! was the sound I heard as the upper limb recieved a very deep, unrepairable gouge from the garage door rail.

[Josh]

did it break from the twist or from the limb hitting the rail on your release? 

[kayakfisher]

I had one make the ticking noise or popping sound scared  me to death. It was backed with rawhide come to find out there was a spot that didn't get glued good . found  it by pushing down on back of bow with my thumb. Lifted it up a little added glue problem solved.
                                                                Dennis

[Kent D.]

I too have had that tick sound come from a handle.  When the handle area bends a little (and not by design), it will tick just a bit .  That is if you have a glue on handle.

[George Tsoukalas]

Sounds like it may be the handle. You can pin it with dowels. If you are interested I'll describe how I've done it. Jawge