A bad day of bowyering

[PeteC]

Both were live, healthy trees cut last spring,given 2 weeks to stabilize,bows layed out,and put on reflex forms for a month.After another month,I attempted to begin tillering,but fought moisture problems all summer.How about some kind of fungus growth in the wood?(Nothing was apparent on the exterior surfaces of the staves).They were both about 64", and 1 1/2" at the fades ,out to mid limb.The tiller on each was right on the money,and they set very little. One thing I noticed about the elm in particular,it split very easy.Every other elm I have cut has been a job to get split.I just don't see how they could have been too dry,with our humidity,and the heat treating was done when each stave was taken to brace height during tillering.The cherry broke almost identical to the elm. God Bless

[mullet]

 I've had wood blow in pieces like that when it was too dry. And pulled just a hair too far. When I did, it was after I had already pulled it farther and the moisture had changed. And When I pulled it, something said "this doesn't feel right, stop" and I didn't.

[George Tsoukalas]

Hope you were on a rope  and pully and not a t stick. Can you imagine being under that duo as you lock it into the next hole on the stick and have'em explode in your face? Gives one pause. Looks like these staves were "pushed" either with design flaws, too much reflex, too much heat treating, or drawing too far too fast. Looking at where they broke (mid limb) it sure seems like they were drawn too far too fast. I am an expert on stave breaks. Trust me. LOL. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Last Aug I was working a board bow for a friend to use on our trad weekend. It was a narrow, light, bend in the handle board bow. It was tillered out and shot for a couple of weeks. Guess what I did? I strung it backwards and broke it. Stupid.  Like I don't know the back of a bow. Then I picked up another board ( a gift from a friend) and started working it. There was a tiny pin knot I didn't see until I was done with long string tillering. The stave broke there. 2 broken bows in one day. That's my record. Jawge

[Cacatch]

Yeah, there was something wrong with the wood I say. Did any of the elm look pinkish or have a light red tint to it? Even bone dry elm should not let go like that. Actually the cherry shouldn't either unless the tiller was bad, which I'm sure it wasn't. And even red elm (which splits fairly easy for an elm) doesn't split all that easily. I've never seen a white elm that wasn't a bastard to split.
If it were me, I'd chalk it up to junk wood, chop 'em up for the campfire and find new wood. I don't know about anyone else, but when a tree yields me wood that acts like that, and breaks that easily, I junk out all the wood I have from that tree. I won't play guessing games with wood once I see it is faulty like that.

CP

[DCM4]

Dude, two in a row and back to back.  Bad juju!

Use more wood on the next ones.  That's the thing about bowyerin', you gotta cross the line sometimes to find it.

[dwardo]

Broke my last two here aswell

General rushing, bending too soon after heat treating, not paying attention to both width and thickness in limbs. Also trying to push the design on a stave that i wanted as opposed to allowing the stave to dictate the design. All my fault and i too have now hit a dry patch and i am still yet to get back in the saddle

[medicinewheel]

Hate it when that happens...

[PeteC]

George,neither of these were on the tree.I was drawing them both when they blew.The top limb of the elm came over my shoulder and that was it. The cherry slapped me on the cheek bone pretty good,but no blood, Thanks for the opinions fella's. God Bless

[George Tsoukalas]

2 in one day. I'd be using a bicycle helmet and safety glasses when first shooting and I'm not kidding. I've had around 5 let go at full draw. A couple smacked me up side the head and should have knocked some sense in me. It is an experience. I try to stack the odds in my favor and work on a rope and pulley and bring the bow to full draw or close to it several times before shooting. I draw 26 in. I tiller to draw weight at 25 in and ease it to 26 in as I break it in while shooting.  No pun intended. Jawge

[okiecountryboy]

Pete it sucks to break one let alone two but i say if you got 9 more i'd dig in and surely you can tweak here and there and get some shooters!!JMO But i say go for It!break em til ya make one

Boy, do I know that feelin!
 But then I do have GOOD supply of red oak fire wood. 
Ron