Slice of humble pie.

[rossfactor]

I've Made a lot of bows in the last 12 years.  I hadn't broken one in a while, although I haven't been pushing the envelope too much either.

I sold a bow to a gentleman a few weeks ago.  He just responded that it developed a "crack" just outside the fade. Man, it feels twice as bad when one breaks that you made for someone else. Eating that humble pie tonight   

Gabe

[Pat B]

Make it right for him and you'll feel better. We have all eaten our share of humble pie and a bit or crow too. 

[rossfactor]

  Thanks Pat,

Yep, I'm meeting him this week to assess the damage.  I've already got a back up bow laid out.  That's the good thing about "having" to make him another.... I get to make a new bow.

Gabe

[bubby]

had a guy beg me to sell him a bow, so I did and showed him how to do push/pull to string it, a year later I hear it broke on him so I got ahold of him to hear what happened, said it shot great for about 10 mos then it just broke while stringing it, asked how he strung it , step thru, man i was pissed, told him not to string it like that when he got it in the first place, then told him i'd make him a replacement, ONE TIME, some guys do what they want even when ya tell them not to, Bub

[Roy]

I had to make a new guy to wooden bows, three BBO bows a couple years ago. Sent the first bow and he said it broke when he strung it. He sent it back and it was broken mid limb at the belly, the boo was still in tact. I thought that's odd. I send him another and he said it broke when he strung it. I said send me pictures, so he does. The belly of the bow was separated from the riser, that never happens either. I sent him the third bow, along with pictures and a video of how to string a BBO. Here the dumb ass was stringing them backwards. I WANTED TO KILL HIM!

[rossfactor]

Dang Roy, that really sucks.  Ok, I don't feel too bad now.

Yeah, I didn't spend enough time discussing stringing methods.  Bow was 60# at 29 and 57# at 28.  Overdraw could have been an issue too.  But who knows, I might have just missed some flaw in the wood.  I shot that bow 50+ times  before it went out. And drew it back many more times than that.  Tiller was on the money.

Gabe

[bubby]

guy prolly works in a museum Roy, they like to string bows backwards and break'em

[Roy]

Then on the third bow, and he looked at the pictures and video I sent. He calls me and says I can't get it strung. This guy was a big dude mind ya, I'm a little guy and I strung it 30 times while working on it. I ask what type of stringer you using, he says the one that has a cup on one end and the other end has the rubber deal that slides half way down the limb. I said NO, don't use that on a BBO, I told him what kind of stringer to buy before. So he emails me later and says, I called the stringer company and they told me to only place one foot at the center of the handle. Here he was placing both feet on the stringer and spacing them at mid limb. I wanted to kill him again. But that bow survived:)
Did I mention he was a compound shooter, wanting to try trad? Since then I decided to quit selling bows. A hobby was turning into a job and it was not fun anymore:)

[vinemaplebows]

Roy,

             If you build this guy a gun at any point in your lifetime.....ah, send the video fir....wait a minute maybe not!

VMB

[AH]

I had to eat a bit of my own pie before...it wasn't fun...
I had build a 40 pound ash board flat bow for one my neighbors, tested it to 30" for safety even though his draw length was 28", had shot it probably 150 times, then the first time he shot it, I was watching...
the glue at the top tip overlay separated and slid down the limb with the string, which wrenched the bottom limb into his guts...I felt sooo bad
Since then I have stopped using elmer's wood glue for gluing tip overlays...

[Bryce]

I built an ocean spray bow for a gentleman. 60#@27" she was a beauty. I shot it 200+ times with my 28" draw. I took him the bow showed him how to string it and maintain the the bow. Also instructed him that NO ONE shoots the bow but him.
2 days later I got an angry phone call,"I demand you make me a new bow this one you made me is broken. Wasn't made right!"
At this point in time I was furious. But I retained my cool and asked a series of questions.
How did you string it?
Did you dry fire the bow?
Did anyone else shoot the bow?

His answers.
-I tried to string it the way you showed me but I couldn't do it. So I did the step through method.
-no I'm not that dumb.
- well no.
Umm... Just my son in law and my grandson.

"Are they taller than you?" I asked.

-just the grandson, man they grow real fast, he was really liking the bow till it broke!


I told him I would replace it but not for free because he voided the warranty when he let someone else shoot the bow. He wasnt happy, but that's how it goes.

[Granite Mtn]

You make a ton of bows you gona eat the humble pie period.  Just make sure you don't have to have a side of crow!  It makes it way worse trust me!
G'day
Chris

[Holten101]

Av...it happens.

I usually go to great lengths to explain that this isnt glasfiber....that there will allways be an element of unpredictability and a risk of non-visible weaknesses...thats the charm of selfbows.

Getting people to not overdraw is allmost impossible....they wanna show of their new bow so they let others try it. When it eneitably ends up in the hands of and unexperienced archers/compound archer they will try and show that they are "strong enough" to handle "real bows"....so they engage in a muscle contest with the bow and pull it to their ears (I have seen it too many times).

I think you have done all you can with propper tiller and drawlength for the customer.

Btw...I use the step-through method on my own bows....never had a problem with that (I am careful tho).

Cheers

[Del the cat]

Oh yeah, that bows for you. The minute you get cocky... they bite yo ass
Del

[sleek]

So, I have to ask, whats wrong with the step through method of stinging a bow that kills bows?