Not your usual handle pop off[fix & pics added][finish & pics added]

[Dances with squirrels]

Your dips are rather steep and come into working limb right AT the flares. I would have extended them out the limb 1 1/2 - 2" farther and made them a more gradual slope so that limb bend is slowed before it is stopped.

An internal weakness? Eh, maybe, maybe not. Either way, I'm betting the bow let go there because of what was demanded of it.

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.I'll try another you know.I'm like a calf just turned into a pasture with an electric fence[not knowing what an electric fence is].The calf gets shocke once and bellars bloody murder but a half hour later he's got to try it one more time to convince himself.
The early/late wood ratio is pretty good on this tree.Good thick enough late wood rings too.
My solution I've thought here is to either extend the fades a tad longer or not having it work into the fades and compensate for that by extending the working limb a shade farther towards the tip.Which actually is the same thing......LOL.
The bow was working with 31 inches of working limbs at a 28" draw.So I was pushing it.Even so there was no chrysalling on the  limbs[not saying they would'nt later though].Seems BL does'nt like too extreme of a design.My fault really but as I make more and more bows I get away more from the conventional type of bows I used to make.Push the envelope so to speak.

[BowEd]

What I should mention and am sure this is a factor in this failure is that I tillered this bow to 20".Minimal set taken.Got a very good estimate on it's future draw weight that I wanted to land at.Less than 10 pounds to take off.Then I heat treated it.All the while starting with enough width that I could just side tiller the weight down without touching my heat treatment and losing it's effect.When side tillering only is done the fades automatically get shorter.I started out with 1and1/2" fades but by the time I'm done side tillering the fades are 1and1/4" long.
That tells me to start out with at least 2" of fades per limb if I want to just side tiller it to my draw weight.Just more after thought here.
See the reason why I think the fade cracked just a bit is because when that chunk popped off the handle the pressure by me pulling it to full draw had me pull it a bit farther past 28".I can't say how much it all happened so fast.
I thought about it and have devised a plan to try a fix.I'll string it up as is.Expose the cracks at the fade.Fill it with thin super glue.Unbrace it.Let it cure fully.Then glue the handle back on with smooth on epoxy[I've always had good luck with that stuff].Maybe prop up the handle a scooch on the limbs either side of the handle and c clamp that sucker down with three c clamps accross the handle.
Then after about 500 full draws on the tllering tree over 5 days I might try to shoot it......LOL.If it makes it that far.Does that sound like a plan?
Could make it into a bendy handle bow.Do the super glue fix then just build up the handle with cork and leather too.I'll get back to this thread and show the results.Might be a week though.I've got to let my sinew wraps cure real good.They are going to be a big part of the attempted fix here.
A friend of mine here told be he had a similar circumstance happen to him with a bow and he just glued the popped off piece right back on and kept using the bow and it's still shooting.

[BowEd]

Again.....More after thought.When I side tillered this one I could of or should of left the area at te fades alone and side tapered above it more.Ok...I'm through talking to myself thanks for the comments fellas.

[Josh B]

Never seen that before Ed.  I hope you can save it!  Josh

[wood_bandit99]

I think you should do that but also add sinew on the handle just for safety. I think it sounds lik a good idea for some reason 

[BowEd]

Well you know fellas sh^% happens.When ya push stuff to the edge everything has to be done right.I think I got a 80/20 % chance of it surviving.I'd like to see the FG boys fix their bows like this........LOL.They'd have ring their FG supplier.Wait for the UPS truck to arrive.Talk about a non satisfying hollow feeling way to get another bow.

[JW_Halverson]

Well you know fellas sh^% happens.When ya push stuff to the edge everything has to be done right.I think I got a 80/20 % chance of it surviving.I'd like to see the FG boys fix their bows like this........LOL.They'd have ring their FG supplier.Wait for the UPS truck to arrive.Talk about a non satisfying hollow feeling way to get another bow.

You got that right!!!  In your case, it's just food for thought and a riddle to solve, makes life more interesting.  Go get'em Ed, don't let this one best you!

[BowEd]

OK moving along here.This is a pretty straight forward type fix here but I'll show it any way.I glued the chunk of wood back on the handle first.I sinew wrapped the fades with probably a triple wrap.Then put some beef rawhide around the handle between the fades and wrapped that on with some masonary string to give it a little texture.

[BowEd]

Side

[BowEd]

Top....Sewed it with good old artificial sinew with a whip stictch with a half hitch in it.Looks primitive enough for me.I think I can safely say that chunk of wood wil NOT pop off any more.It'll have to fail somewhere's else.....LOL.I've tillered it to 28.5"@ 53#.No noises yet and have been shooting it in.I'll show the final look after the finish etc.

[Pappy]

Tough break,but I will say if that don't hold it together nothing will,  Nice repair /save and I think it should work.
   Pappy

[BowEd]

I'm kinda warming up to the bow as a favorite for a while.It shoots great pappy.Right where I'm looking.Light as a feather.14 ounces.Perfect for hunting as I don't care if it falls out of the tree stand or gets banged up much.Who knows maybe I'll shoot a big buck with it and it'll hold a special place for me.

[blackhawk]

Well..I think that's bombproof now ed sounds like your glad ya fixed and enjoy shooting it  so what ya think of locust(now obviously you need to make more than one to come to a conclusion)

[BowEd]

Oh yea.I'm brewed up with anticipation of making another bow out of it.Got another stave in the house to be roughed out drying down good.It seems like BL takes heat treating well.Snappy quick and does'nt take much set.A little cleaner type wood than say mulberry on the backs I mean.I think mulberry could be a snappy quick light weight type bow too.