Hairline crack on side a problem?

[cool_98_555]

Hello everyone,

I've got a great bow in the works here.  Osage snakey bow, 68" and 1 1/8" wide.  Currently it is 7/8" thick on the limbs and it is just ready for tillering (lined the tips up today).  Problem is, I found this hairline crack on one side of one limb and i'm not sure if it will pose a problem when I start tillering.  I have filled it with superglue, but i've never had a crack in this kind of spot before.  Crack runs about 6 inches down the limb.  Check the pictures and please let me know what you think.

Thank you!

http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/cool98555/media/IMG_1029_zpsyiybtfvo.jpg.html
http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/cool98555/media/IMG_1028_zpsgxczna9i.jpg.html

[BowEd]

I'm sorry to say this but that crack is a game changer.It'll most surely break there.It runs to the edge.It's not running in the growth ring so it is'nt a luminar seperation in the growth ring.You can try it on the tillering tree but the outlook is'nt very good.Sorry.

[cool_98_555]

Oh no.....   What a shame to hear something like that....put so many hours into shaping this bow already and the snakey profile on this one is just beautiful....

[stuckinthemud]

If its a total loss anyway, you could chase-out the crack and see how much width is left - may be enough for a different design of bow - may be a snakey short-bow in there? How far along the limb is it - near enough the centre to cut it out and splice it back together to get a short bow, or splice in a handle to put some length back in?

[Dances with squirrels]

If nothing else, you could cut that limb off and save the other to splice a new piece on at the handle.

[Marc St Louis]

I'm seeing 2 things there.  One that runs down the limb and seems to be following a growth ring and the other that goes across. 

If you are talking about the one that runs down the limb then unless you want to make an 80# bow then 7/8" thick is quite thick.  I would run some thin crazy glue in the crack while clamping it and then start working it down a bit, using a shallow D profile, to see how much of the crack disappears

[BowEd]

cool...Yes that's a good idea fix.I'm sorry I sounded so gloom and doom.there is a good chance your bow can make it yet.

[bradsmith2010]

looks like the crack might go away as suggested,, that crack will dictate the possible draw weight of the bow,,,but sometimes those things turn out better than expected,, 

[George Tsoukalas]

When you remove the crack, either use a drawknife or a knife and whittle it out to at least see how far in it goes.
In the diagram go from the top down...thick part down.
Jawge

[cool_98_555]

I can't remove any more width from the bow.  It's already at 1 1/8", which is narrow enough.  From the crack to the back of the bow it is 5/8", so I think I might just take some more wood off to start with 5/8" thick for the limbs.  I probably won't be able to get 80# like I originally wanted with this bow, but it's better to have a bow that shoots than a broken one I suppose, even if it is lighter than I originally wanted.  I suppose I can pike it later too to increase the weight if it survives.  It's at 68" now and I have a 29" draw so I could probably afford to take it down to 66" and still be ok....

[bradsmith2010]

if you want 80# ,, you could always sinew back, ,after you get it floor tillered,, or braced,,

[DC]

Do you know how it happened? Were you bending the bow sideways at that point? It's time to attach blame so you don't do the same thing on the next one.

[cool_98_555]

The crack was there when I got the stave, and when I tried to narrow it to avoid thd crack, it was still present

[cool_98_555]

UPDATE:  Just took the bow down to 5/8" thick on the limbs to avoid the crack, and there is no more crack on the bow!  There was also a crack perpendicular to the rings, and I scraped that off without losing too much limb width.  Bow is a little lighter, so I think i'll be piking it from 68" to 64" tonight, then starting on the tillering if string is still aligned through the center.  Wish me luck!

[bradsmith2010]

great news, sounds like there is a bow in there,,