Fade crack fix of old favorite

[BowEd]

Just got through fixing & shooting in an old favorite I had screwed up on carving the handle out.Made it around july of 2016.A composite.The problem showed up around 6 months after construction/tillering and shooting the heck out of it.I tillered off around 8#'s too.Just as quick a bow holding all the reflex yet as it had been before around 8" but lighter weight.My rotary cup seems to bite me if I pull into 55#'s nowadays.It's 49#'s @ 28" now.I think it looks ok and back to one of my favorites.Pictures of the handle will show the process of results.The bow had been posted on the horn bow thread and I posted the fix there too."Finished composite hickory bow/pics".
The problem.

The crack did not show on the back.Just on the side lengthwise.[Sinew helped there I imagine]

Solution...At least 4 layers of sinew wrapping 1.5" long.


Finished result.Veg tanned beaver tail leather wrap.Scrap pieces of copperhead and belly scale skin over wraps with silk wraps on the edges.The black horn dot on the arrow pass is slightly raised and stays that way after covered with leather.I like my arrows shafts barely resting on anything at all.A very small slightly raised point.No chance at all of any hook/bump or any deflection upon release.



With a little thought and patience I'm pleased with the result even shooting very light weight arrows through it around 6 grain with little if any hand shock to impressive numbers.Shoots the hunting weight arrows of 11 to 12 grain at a good rate too.Now I just need a deer to come into the death zone.....lol.Still at it here and hope before it gets too cold I get another shot or maybe 2.

[Eric Krewson]

Yours is probably the best save we have seen so far on this site, good job.

[BowEd]

Thanks Eric.Thank god for sinew I guess.Most times when bows do that stuff to me I leave them in the shed retired.I could'nt let go of this one.

[leonwood]

That is a fix that actually made it look a lot better! Very pretty handle section! Most fixes, including mine, make a bow look ugly so well done!

[Morgan]

That is a great save. Well done

[Pat B]

Good fix and very nice cover. The snake skin matches the backing skin and the belly scales sets it all off. Well done.   

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas...For people out there selling/buying or skinning these snake skins making that skinning cut along 1 edge of the belly skin & backing helps for use once in a while in a paticular different way & don't throw away the scraps.That belly scale skin is a little thicker though but will soften up enough in warm water.Can be hard to match colors as every snake is different.These scraps used were from the original skin I used on the back when made.
Most fixes don't come out as well for me either.

[Del the cat]

Great save. It's good to keep the old faves going.
these days I'm doing fewer bows and mostly for people close at hand so I can maintain 'em and keep 'em shooting. Warbows especially need a bit of looking after.
I enjoy doing the saves and fixes, even if it's not one of my bows.
Del

[bradsmith2010]

wow that looks great,, hope you get to try it out soon,,

[Stick Bender]

That's amazing fix there Ed that bow has always been my favorite coming from you it inspired me to start one I'm glad it's resurrected and I agree looks better now hope you get a dear in front of it !

[osage outlaw]

Nice repair job.  Do you think rounding the edges of the fades would have prevented that crack? 

[BowEd]

Clint....Possibly & I gotta agree with you......I've made that handle on many bows but without all the reflex.I carve the arrow pass at a point a little farther back towards where the handle is deeper now.Makes the arrow pass closer to the center of the handle then too around 1/2",but makes the handle smaller unless I start out with a 5" handle grip instead of my usual 4.5" handle grip.
I'm not accustomed to longer fades then 1.5 to 1.75 inches.Longer fades would help I think too.

[upstatenybowyer]

I agree with Eric... that's just about the most impressive fix I've ever seen. Not only in that you solved the functionality issue, but you made it look, well, I can't come up with words to say how much I love the way it looks.

The silk, the beaver tail, and copperhead belly go together like the pieces of a top-of-the-line Italian suit. 

Oh yeah, and best of luck with the 

[BowEd]

Thanks....As much as I like the result I really think there's been more impressive fixes shown on here.There's a whole bunch of problem solvers on the PA.

[osage outlaw]

Ed, I've always heard sharp edges lift splinters easier.  Anyway, impressive repair job on it.