Need advice on a lifted splinter

[Stickhead]

I’m working on an otherwise promising bow.  When I finally got it to full draw, I heard a crackle and winced.  When I managed to open my eyes again, the bow was still intact, but a tiny splinter had lifted by a problematic knot.  It’s about 2/3 up the limb.

I could:
1) scrape down the splinter and hope for the best (I’d be introducing a small violation at the edge)
2) patch the area with a bit of backing material
3) bind it with string material & superglue
4) back the whole bow (I’d rather not, if I can avoid it)
5) some other remedy

Any recommendations?

[PEARL DRUMS]

I think you have two options, Tom. Wrap it or scrap it. My own personal opinion is scrap it. I'm not a repaired bow kinda guy anymore. Maybe I have too many bows or maybe I just changed over the years.

[BowEd]

I'm in the same boat mostly because I just plain don't like wraps and I don't like losing my preferred draw weight reducing it taking it out.It's your call.I've got plenty of bows anyway too.

[bjrogg]

I’m in that boat to. It does look like some violations around that knot?

I might try narrowing up and getting rid of knot and violations. Then retilering. Don’t know if that possible, but thought I’d throw it out there.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

I don't see a knot.You must of gouged it there or something.That's quite a splinter wanting to get bigger.Corners need to be chamfered properly too.

[bjrogg]

I see a small knot just to the right of the circle pencil mark. Along with a violation “above” the knot. Another possibility might be to chase another ring?

I guess a lot depends on how much wood you have to work with. If it won’t make what you want and you have another stave?

If you don’t have anything else to work on and want to experiment?

I probably would never really trust it like it is though.

Bjrogg

[BowEd]

The splinter did'nt start at that tiny tiny pin knot.

[bjrogg]

I’m just looking on my phone, but it looks to me like the violations start alongside that small knot and extend to the lifted splinter. I’m guessing the handle is to the right? I zoomed in as much as I can and it looks like that splinter goes deeper than one growth ring.

Sorry out of ideas

Bjrogg

[Stickhead]

I see a small knot just to the right of the circle pencil mark. Along with a violation “above” the knot. Another possibility might be to chase another ring?

I guess a lot depends on how much wood you have to work with. If it won’t make what you want and you have another stave?

If you don’t have anything else to work on and want to experiment?

I probably would never really trust it like it is though.

Bjrogg

The handle is to the right.  There are some grooves in the ring around the pin knot on the right, that I scraped out.  The splinter is along one of the grooves. 

I’m not crazy about a wrap either.  Maybe I’ll just scrape it out, put on my safety glasses and hope for the best.

[bassman]

No, that would be an accident looking for a place to happen. If your not going to wrap it, chase a ring ,or two, and back it with Smooth On, and a hard wood backing of  Hickory ,or Bamboo. If you don't want to do it now set it aside,and do it later. Just start another bow for now. Better than a limb cracking you in the head or worse.JMO

[BowEd]

Good call on a backing option but you'll have to flatten the back.Then the splinter can be totally removed then.Did'nt think he wanted a backed bow though.

[HH~]

That limb looks it gave up the ghost. Scrape out make a 18lb kids bow or harvest the riser out of bow. Suks but it happens all the time.

What draw length did it do the noise making?

HH

[bassman]

Some times you have to do what you have to do. I know it would need a planed back to mesh with a backing. Chasing the ring would be the way to get the splinter out. Looks like Osage ,so it would be worth the fix to me. You, and Pearl, Bjrogg, Stickhead may have a good stock of Osage, and not want to fool with the stave  any longer ,and can understand that also.

[bassman]

Could also be a good horse bow in their some where. Made a few of those over the years out of splits ,and sinew.

[Eric Krewson]

OK, I have repaired several of these types of splinters, the good thing is you found it in time.

Pull the bow back on your tree, pull it back enough to open the crack and put superglue in the crack while it is open. Wrap the crack with nylon serving thread extending it 1/2" past the crack in each direction. Soak the serving in super glue until it won't hold anymore, done

If you have a good shooter there is no reason to trash it for esthetic reasons.

As for durability, Tony heard the dreaded tink in an osage bow he got for a dollar chance at a fundraiser for the Alabama Children's Hospital, I had made the bow and donated it. When it tinked I was at the same shoot with him and a bunch of friends, the bow was snake backed and all of us together couldn't find the crack until he turned just right in the sunlight, Scott spotted it, it was on the edge and a lot like yours. I repaired it on the spot, the next day Tony was shooting it in the tournament.

The IBO at Pappys was coming up, the bow was the only selfbow Tony had so off to Twin Oaks he went.

The bow is still shootable but Tony retired after shooting it for a bunch of years after the repair, it had lost poundage in its later years and started following the string. He estimated he has put 250K arrows through the bow before he retired it and a good part of those after the repair.

I always try to fix them, just to see if I can, I don't always succeed but have made some pretty impressive saves so far. 

Here is Tony with his second place trophy in the IBO Worlds in 2013, he was shooting his patched bow, a bow most of the posters here would would have thrown away. He is the big guy on the left, Nolan on the right was shooting a twin to Tony's bow that I made as well.

The other picture is a patch like I described on one of my bows, got ten years on this one after patch and it is still shooting.