crystaling

[SA]

I finished a mollegabet a month or so ago and have put 100+ arrows through it, then  I noticed one limb started developing slight cracks or stress fractures  on the belly. they are not very noticable but I dont want it to get worse ,is this bow done or can I sand the belly and glue silk or something to it and save it? It is 50# at 28" ash backed maple.

[aznboi3644]

where are the chrysals at??  Lets see a full draw shot to check tiller

[Del the cat]

IMO There's nothing much you can do which is easier than making a new bow.
Chrysals go surprisingly deep, I re-worked an old Elm longbow into a little 30# bow and the chrysals were still faintly visible amout 3-4mm down!
It will doubtless still shoot but will loose cast and if the belly is failing it will probably fail gracefully and crumple rather than snapping and whacking you on the head.
Turn it into a kids bow?
Del

[George Tsoukalas]

Eventually, the bow will fold in on itself like a book. Yes, I've had that happen. There are 2 causes for chrysals. First, if the chrysals are located in one spot then the bow is bending too much in that area. The fix is to retiller leaving that area alone. Retiiler the other limb too. You can also cut out that spot and glue on a piece of the same wood. Too much work for me. Another fix is to glue on a piece or rawhide over the area. Second, if the chrysals are not localized but spread out over a larger area. The problem is a poor design. The bow is too short or too narrow or perhaps too heavy for the wood. The fix is to make another and learn from mistakes. Jawge

[SA]

thanks for the feedback, i tried retillering but they just keep poppin out . i wonder if the maple board i used was to soft  and the ash is crushing it ,anyway think its time to make another.