Delamination

[NTD]

So I picked up my favorite BBI today and I noticed something tragic. It is starting to delaminate. At first I though it might have just been a crack in the glue line but upon closer examination it's actually taken some of the wood with it. This is a straight profile with some reflex glued in(TB3). 66" long 55# @ 29" This bow has been my daily shooter for 9 months and has had thousands upon thousands of arrows put through it. I'm really torn up to see this happen. Does anyone know what can cause this. I assume I screwed up in the glue up but how specifically. Should I keep shooting it and hope it doesn't continue up the limb. I was thinking of purposely delaming the rest of it and planing down the back of the ipe and flattening the boo back up and glueing it back together. Maybe pike it by 2-3 inches so I can maybe keep some weight. Any ideas. Help me save my bow

[Gordon]

Don't shoot it anymore as the bow will likely break. The only way I can think of fixing that is to remove the existing backing and back it again.

[NTD]

In that case do you have any tips on how to remove the snake skin in one piece before I grind off that boo?

[Almostpighunter]

I think, and this is jmo, it looks like the Ipe is the damaged wood, so I'd sacrifice the Ipe (assuming that Ipe is the "I" in BBI) and reuse the bamboo w/ backing on another bow. Easier process to remove/sacrifice the Ipe and harder to find good skins for me than bow wood.

[Thwackaddict]

Maybe cyano and a thread wrap soaked in cyano?Or sinew?How long is it and does it go all the way through to other side of limb?

[Gordon]

What kind of glue did you put the skins on with?

[Del the cat]

The glue has done it's job fine if it's stuck to the wood.
I would say give it to one of those weird folk who want a 'looking at' bow to put on their wall but don't shoot.
Dunno how you find one of 'em thogh, we all shoot of course, but I have heard rumours of folk who don't ... yes really! Sad isn't it .
Del

[4est Trekker]

I agree with Almostpighunter.  The glue is not the issue, but rather the ipe.  I, too, would remove the ipe and prepare the boo for backing another bow.

[ken75]

Nate if you have or have access to a good bandsaw you might could split the two and resurface them for another glue up

[NTD]

Thanks guys.  Gordon, I used TB3 for the skin.  Ken, I don't have a bandsaw but may set this bow aside until I do.

[Gordon]

NTD, you will not be able to reclaim the skins if you used TB3. You could have soaked them off after removing the finish if you had used hide glue.

[ken75]

Nate to each his own , but thats what i would do bandsaw the line and stay in the ipe , if you needed the poundage you could put a power lam in it later.

[Pat B]

You won't be able to save the skins but you can heat the backing and the TBIII will release. I removed a hickory backing after calling the TB people and asked how. They said at 150deg(F) the glue will release. I used a chisel to get under the hickory backing and pried as I heated.

[Marc St Louis]

Sometimes you can repair something like that

[NTD]

Sometimes you can repair something like that

                                                        Marc, would you mind elaborating?