Small fissure crack between two knots, should I be concerned????!!!!

[HoBow]

Where did you get it

[1776J]

Out of respect for the place and person I've dealt with, I will not say.
He has been a very good guy in all of this thus far, and I believe that he will continue to be so.

I simply wanted some other opinions on what I was seeing as I was working on this bow as the crack was a defect, not man made by myself in the process of working on the bow, but something there before
I ever set hand to it.  Something I'd have never seen, and did not see (as it was not visible in the rough stage at which I received it.)

I trust the bowyer will make things right as I move forward with this.

[George Tsoukalas]

The response you got does not seem to address the compression crack. Here's the deal on those. Knots are weak areas. Typically, knotted areas should be left wide around the knot. When tillering a knotted area  it has to be done so that the knotted area appears a little stiffer than the rest of the limb.   This is a wooden backed bow. I don't do them but if I did I wouldn't use a piece with a knot in it either for the backing or the belly. Jawge

[Parnell]

IMO, the glue line is less than acceptable.  If I can make seamless glue lines in my 2 years experience with my tools there is no reason for someone in business to put out that kind of poor quality, especially for what you were charged.
The piece of osage used for the back shouldn't have ever been selected for such a product.  If the guy is reputable he should have known better than to ship out something like that.    I hope it works out for you.

[Kitsu]

IMO, the glue line is less than acceptable.  If I can make seamless glue lines in my 2 years experience with my tools there is no reason for someone in business to put out that kind of poor quality, especially for what you were charged.
The piece of Osage used for the back shouldn't have ever been selected for such a product.  If the guy is reputable he should have known better than to ship out something like that.    I hope it works out for you.

agreed, cracks like that are bound to cause breakage, also, that glue line is horrid, even my first glue lines (from a handle and from tips, were not that bad, that is just unacceptable

[El Destructo]

You have gotten some excellent responses and  opinions so far from some of the best Bowyers on this site...or in the Country for that matter.....I say that whoever you purchased this Bow Blank from is yanking your crank...that Glue Line is not only sub-par....it is pathetic....and would never have left my shop...and one would never think of selling a Blank with a knot running through the width of the Limb like this....my opinion....and its just that....my opinion....quit wasting time on this Bow ...respectfully request a refund...and buy a Blank from James Parker....David Knight...or any of the other fine and respected Bowyers on this Site....you will not be saddened with such a piece of wood as this ....once again this is just my opinion....but for that kind of Money....you could have bought a top notch Bamboo Backed Rocket Launcher...I know I bought one....

[Cacatch]

You have stated at least 4 times in this thread alone that you are new and don't really know anything about glue-ups. Did you perhaps mention that to this guy when you bought this piece? If you did, that was mistake #1.  It's just like going to a mechanic shop. NEVER tell them you "are new" or "don't know anything about it".  Although for your part it only reflects sincere honesty and your desire to be up-front and place your trust in someone, it will set you up to be taken advantage of 90% of the time. In fact, the only time I'll tell somebody I'm dealing with, that I "don't know anything about it", is when I 100% DO know A LOT about it, just to see how they'll try to screw with me, and then I catch them in the act. Try it sometime and you'll see what I mean.

As for the product itself, I second what everyone else has just said. Request a refund. You say the guy is reputable...that means you have a measure of respect for him, so, put him to the test. See if he respects you as a customer. Also, what you paid for this wood was way too much.

-CP

[1776J]

Well, after a phone call that didn't go as well as I had desperately tried to make it go, I received an email that told me to just send the bow back for a refund.
I'll be sending it out tomorrow as it's to late now today.
I'm trusting him that he will indeed refund me in full... I'm being positive and figuring he will.

Yes, I did mention I was "new" to this,... I only mentioned this after we had actually had some good talks via email and I had felt comfortable mentioning it.

I looked for an English Longbow of Osage, backed with Hickory, and didn't know anyone who was offering anything but this one fellow I saw mentioned in Primitive Archer.
I felt more than comfortable with the company at the time.

[Cacatch]

Yeah. Crap can happen to anyone. Well, at least he "says" he'll refund for it. You've done all you can do. Now it's in his hands.

What I said about telling someone your new, I said just as advice from one person to another. When I read what you wrote about your wife saying it could be your Christmas and that you're waiting on a baby and money is tight, it pulled on my heart a little bit. I'm a dad too, and for me, money is still tight. I've heard those same words from my wife before. I really hope the guy gets you your money back. But if he doesn't try talking to the guys on here and see what you might come up with.  Most of us have been there before   
 

CP

[1776J]

Yeah. Crap can happen to anyone. Well, at least he "says" he'll refund for it. You've done all you can do. Now it's in his hands.

What I said about telling someone your new, I said just as advice from one person to another. When I read what you wrote about your wife saying it could be your Christmas and that you're waiting on a baby and money is tight, it pulled on my heart a little bit. I'm a dad too, and for me, money is still tight. I've heard those same words from my wife before. I really hope the guy gets you your money back. But if he doesn't try talking to the guys on here and see what you might come up with.  Most of us have been there before   
 

CP

Thanks a million CaCatch,... your kind words are much appreciated!
Again, thank you.
We shall see how this all turns out. (fingers crossed)

[1776J]

Let me ask you fellas....

As far as an English Longbow in the "D" style belly goes,...(Much like the traditional English "Warbow")...

What would be your recommendations for a noted bowyer that could provide such a bow in a you-finish roughed in stage?  (Just email me fellas)
Either in Hickory backed Yew or Hickory backed Osage?  Possibly even straight Yew?

Also,....what DVD's would someone recommend for someone wanting to specifically build that style of bow for themselves?  Something that would show what type of stave to choose all the way to a finished bow?
(I know there seem to be a vast array of DVD's out there,...so I thought I'd ask before I just started looking and got further confused as far as those go!)

Thanks a million in advance!

[Pat B]

Why not try to make one yourself. It is almost too late this hunting season to learn to shoot well enough to hunt with it and by next season you can have just what you want...and you made it yourself, with a little help from your friends.    A few simple tools and the right piece of lumber or the right stave and you are good to go. 

[1776J]

Why not try to make one yourself. It is almost too late this hunting season to learn to shoot well enough to hunt with it and by next season you can have just what you want...and you made it yourself, with a little help from your friends.    A few simple tools and the right piece of lumber or the right stave and you are good to go. 

Been my thoughts exactly,... what I've truly wanted to do, but was quite unsure of myself to tackle anything yet.  Of course give me something to fabricate out of metal and weld, I'm your man!  That's another story all together!  HA!

I'm curious about building a good English Longbow in the "D" style,... any ideas for DVD's?....etc?
I saw what looks to be a great DVD out of the UK, problem is its pretty expensive AND, worse, I see it's marked "Region 2" which, (unless I'm wrong??) it won't play in our dvd players here in the states! 
I know I had an issue with an old movie I bought off of ebay a while back,... I missed the fact that it was not for matted for use in our DVD players here in the US!

[medicinewheel]

The D bow is most likely the easiest bow to build for the tiller profile being so obvious. A truckload of info on it is available here, or in books such as TBB 1, or 'the bend stick', or Hillary Greenland's book. So, never mind the DVD.
Why not get a rod of Rattan for a first, and try to make a D bow from that, just for practice; if it comes out to light in draw, give it to a kid, and start another one. Failure other than coming out under weight is nearly impossible with Rattan...

[George Tsoukalas]

Red oak board bows are a good way to start. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/