Osage Bendy Crack/Splinter

[Eric Krewson]

I don't think that crack will be fatal after soaking it in superglue and giving it a good sinew wrap. Go above and below the crack about 1/2" for extra insurance. Every bow I wrapped with a similar crack is still shooting, some 10 years later.

The people who tell you to trash the bow or it is too cosmetically flawed with a wrap probably don't have much experience in this area and are just offering an opinion without the experience to back it up.

I have wrapped at least a dozen bows, if the crack passes the centerline on the centerline on the bow no wrap can keep it together, your crack is relatively minor.

Now this is a crack! This bow was broken in a house fire when a beam fell on it. The owner wanted me to try to save it so I glued all the parts back together with urac and gave it a sinew wrap to hold the parts together, as far as I know the repair never failed. This bow is bamboo backed, the big line you see it the glue line for the bamboo backing which came loose but didn't break.

[Danzn Bar]

Guys, 
I wasn't telling him to trash bow.  I said I'm not the type to do it. 
Respectively
DBar

[half eye]

Bayou,   You can save that bow. I downloaded a pic you posted of the original break. Added a red line. Just to the right of the line is what I believe caused your problem.....the very edge of the limb in that spot has a sharp corner, but is well rounded both sides of the sharp corner. Combined with the "stiff" knot and the rounded edges elsewhere you concentrated uneven force right there. And still it did not break through which says your tiller is very good.

Here is how I would make the repair....glue the crack back up and clamp it "just tight". When that is dry gently round off that sharp edge so it blends with the limb edge above and below the crack. Rough the wood with something like a scotch-brite pad. Spread some hide glue on the area and wrap with narrow cut raw-hide strip. About 3/8" wide. Here is the "trick" to strong hide wrap.....when you soak the rawhide to soften it (after ya cut into a strip) Do not completely soak it mushy....just enough to allow you to stretch it a little without breaking it....really mushy equals really weak. Wrap the area about 1-2 inches below the knot and pull the strip fairly tight buy not far enough to break it.  So spread some hide glue, and let jell...then wipe it all over your lacing (strip) and wrap the area....let that jell good and wrap it over with cotton bandage and leave it for 2-3 hours and carefully remove the bandage....let dry.  Ought to last you as long as your gonna need.
   Sorry about the break but think if you had rounded the limb corners the same the whole length it might not have happened......the bow it too nice to scrap. hope this helps.
rich

[half eye]

helps to add the pic ....duh

[DC]

Is a rawhide wrap as strong as a sinew wrap?

[High-Desert]

I had a juniper bow that was destined for failure after I had sinewed it shot it a bunch, then it developed massive cracks down the side of the bow, one that no bow could survive, so I filled them with glue, covered the sinew and sides with rawhide, and proceeded to break it...well, breaking was the plan, plans don’t always work out. As I approached 4” over draw length, waiting for her to blow.........she still shoots today and holds 3” of reflex, and is one of my favorite bows.

[bradsmith2010]

I prefer sinew,, but thats just my personal preference,,I think it might be a bit stronger

[Eric Krewson]

I think sinew draws up tighter, if you don't have any I can send you some.

[RandyN]

I would go with the sinew. My hunting bow, that I had been shooting for about a year, decided to develop a splinter. Brad was with me when it happened, stump shooting. It was about a week before elk season opened. I did a sinew wrap on the splinter, about half inch above and below. I put superglue on the sinew wrap and its still holding 6 years later.  Good luck with your repair. It'll work.

[Bayou Ben]

Thanks for all the help guys. 
I do have some fresh sinew I just processed a couple weeks ago, but I don’t have rawhide. 
I’m going to round those spots you mentioned Rich and clamp it tight with glue and once that dries wrap it liberally with sinew. 
I’ll let you all know how it turns out.
Thanks again. 

[jimmi the sammi]

Lots of good advice from folks who know what they're talking about for sure.  After getting "patch" advice from Dean Torges, I came up with a modification of his methods.  Glue the crack with a very thin super glue (Loctite 420).  Clamp and let set up.  Then wrap the cracked area with 4 wraps of ripstop nylon pulled tight soaked in cheap super glue.  Wrap about 1/2" past the crack on either side.  Spread the super glue on the nylon while wrapping with your finger inside a plastic grocery bag.  After that sets up wrap the entire patch with mouth chewed back sinew 2 layers.  After completely drying for several days cover with Titebond 3.  I like 2 layers.  Then cover with Massey finish to complete the waterproofing.  Been using this patching method for over 10 years.  The patch has held up in wet mountain conditions on my bows.  Just my way of fixing that has worked.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've had success wrapping those types of problems with B 50 set in epoxy. I've also used hide glue and sinew.

The picture perfect tiller we all crave is not the best tiller for a bow nor do I think it is for that one.
I was taught to leave  knotted areas slightly stiffer in relation to the rest of the limb...just a little bit.

Jawge

[ohma2]

I've had success wrapping those toes of problems with B 50 set in epoxy. I've also used hide glue and sinew.

The picture perfect tiller we all crave is not the best tiller for a bow nor do I think it is for that one.
I was taught to leave  knotted areas slightly stiffer in relation to the rest of the limb...just a little bit.

Jawge
[/queote] x2

[Bayou Ben]

I've had success wrapping those toes of problems with B 50 set in epoxy. I've also used hide glue and sinew.

The picture perfect tiller we all crave is not the best tiller for a bow nor do I think it is for that one.
I was taught to leave  knotted areas slightly stiffer in relation to the rest of the limb...just a little bit.

Jawge

So are you saying the tiller shape shouldn’t be circular or just that the knot area should be stiffer?

If I could go back I would have left more wood around the knot.  Live and learn. This was my 1st Osage stave.   

[bradsmith2010]

since its your first osage,, even more important you keep it shooting,,