Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Granite Mtn on April 27, 2013, 02:08:41 pm
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I was taking pics of this elm bow while at full draw the silk backing broke about a 1.25 crack across the back not reaching the edge. Now the stats 64in ntn low 80s high 70s lbs at 27in. Now the history, I had put about 300 to 400 arrows through her then carried her for two days strung on a hog hunt in Texas she sent arrows through 4 hogs including one end to end at forty six paces, broke the right front shoulder exited left rear ham it was a mid sized boar about 200 to 230. The last pic I wil post was actually taken about 1 millisecond after I heard the back give out! I used three layers of silk because the back of this piece of elm was not perfect and the heavy weight I was trying to get. Any how I drew the bow three more times to break it and get it over with but not so much as a creak. Now normally once a bow shows a sign of weakness it gets cut up and burned I am not in the business of repairing junk. But this bow held so much promise and shot so well, I was lured into a sinew wrap repair affair ! The rest of the story later! See if you can pick out the weak spot in this bow!!!!
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If I had to guess I would say it was in the inner third of the top limb. Seems to be doing a lot of work there.
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the inner third on the top limb would be my guess as well
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My bows usually break inner to mid limb on the top.I'm going to go out on a "limb" and guess bottom mid.
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Think I'll say bottom mid limb could be the spot. My last 2 bows broke in the same place, about 14 inches from the tips of the Top limb. ??? So outer third
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Those first couple of pics are distorted sorry don't know why phones do that trust the last two!
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Bottom Mid?
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i read somewhere you can check the genral tiller by squinting and looking at the shape and my first thought was the bottom-mid but after seeing others saying top inner-third i would agree with that aswell. SS
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It broke in the dead middle of the top limb. Your sinew repair patch actually stiffened the limb up so it now shows as a flat spot. ;) By the way, all bows I have backed with silk have broken. ( minus one which I backed with black silk for a base to put a light colored snake skin onto. ) I have no faith in silk as a backing.
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If the back is violated you need a heavy, tough backing to keep it together. As you've found out silk isn't that great at this job! I would've used really thick rawhide or sinew.
Leaving your bow strung for two days is not a great idea!
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well some got close some not so much. The backing failed between the fade and three small pin knots that ran across the back of the bottom limb. The bow was drawn multiple times with no failure after the back failed but it did not effect tiller so i wrapped it with sinew. no pics i have posted so far have shown the sinew repair. The first time I shot the bow the bottom limb failed with a shake running from the failed back both directions into the fade and to the tip. The sinew wrap held the bow together! Here is a pic of the break area.
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here is another pic of the belly side of the break. Sleek i find it really interesting you have had silk backed bows break. This is the first one i have ever had break. I have only made 15 or 20 with silk backing so its not like hundreds but they have all worked great I still shoot a yew wood bow quite often that I built about 10 years ago with silk backing that is in the mid 60sLbs at 27in. What type of silk did you try glue type? I use dupeoni silk SP? and tbIII.
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Well I guess this means dig another stave out of the pile, grab your pencil, and sip coffee that was brewed over the busted bow while you sketch out a new one on a stave ;)
My day is coming, I just finished putting a handle wrap on a great hickory bow this morning after turkey hunting...I hope it ain't that one.
Happens to the best of us. That bow is beautiful
Greg