Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Hans H on February 15, 2018, 02:55:30 pm
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hello guys
I bought this stave and didn`t see this before, it was sealed all around and a bit dirty. today I chased a ring and found that dark brown marks with very thin cracks in it. belly side is clean so the cracks don`t go through the stave.
do you think it is firewood or would some superglue be enough to safe it?
any idea?
thanks for some advise
Hans
(https://i.imgur.com/kpUMXEB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/NWbCTUv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Aotl7XL.jpg)
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With them going length wise Hans I'd say it's ok.Time for thin super glue to fill them I quess if you don't like the looks of them.
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Those look like wounds that the tree grew around. Almost looks like someone stabbed that tree years ago. I would go down a few more rings and see if you can remove them.
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thank you Ed, I measured it, its about 22mm thick, maybe I can take a few more rings of it and maybe the marks and cracks are gone?
Hans
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@osage outlaw, looks like we postet the same time, but thank you
Hans
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You're wasting time and effort if you remove more rings. Those cracks will never make any difference. I have bows with bigger cracks that I have been shooting for quite a while. The fibers are not broken there, just separated.
Just make a bow.
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If you've got thickness to spare, might as well remove another ring or two, but if not, I think Jim is right, as long as the cracks don't run off the side you'll be fine. :OK
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THAT looks like an old borer hole the tree filled in to heal it over. I'm working right now on a black locust bow with one of those smack in the middle of the belly. On mine, the tree had sealed over the hole well with two heartwood rings, but the belly has that exact puckered slit, with that exact grain pattern. Funny enough the hole was closed in with wood like yours, but the wood was still white like sapwood right around the slit, maybe 3/8" on each side.
So, I lucked out that mine is on the belly. I just worked around it like I would have a knot.. I injected the slit full of Minwax wood hardener, then gently pounded a tiny shaved splint in the splint with lots of glue.
On the BACK, like you have, is a different deal. If.you trust the grain , I guess go around like a knot, but the grain looks squirrely around the ends of that slit. If those were simple checks I wouldn't think twice. AND it IS osage. Will a binder hold it? Do you need.to go down a ring? I'm curious. Good luck!
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I think you will be alright..... as said earlier, you can chase a ring or 2 down, or fill them with runny super glue...... Don't be afraid of this stave..
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many thanks to you all, I`ll leave it and fill it up
Hans
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Can you safely lay a bow out around them or by including them? If you have to weave back and forth too much to avoid them or include them you are now laying the bow contrary to what the grain is asking for. Id go another right or tow down and see if you can remove them.
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@PD, this "cracks" are mostly near in middle of the stave, so I can not lay out a bow without this. but I think now I will do what you said, first I remove 2 rings more, second let us see what comes out and third make a decision what I will do.
thank you very much
Hans
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If I were working that stave, I would feel better taking it down a ring or two to see if the problem went away. If it didn't, filling with glue would always be worth a shot.
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Looks like character to me. ;D
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it`s been a good decision to remove some more rings. I`ve done today, removed 4 rings and think I found the livingrooms of some borers
o.k., last July my 2. grandson is born, think the rest of this stave will become his first bow
(https://i.imgur.com/cOv7JsG.jpg)
thanks to all for your quickly responses and help
Hans
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Good decision. I'd bet that bow would have broken if you hadn't of removed those rings to see what was the cause.
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You would have poured two bottles of glue into empty voids. Glad you chose to attack it correctly.
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Moral of the story: when it comes to Osage, always go with the Outlaw and the Pearl.
You should ask for your money back!
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That first ring that you took off was pretty good. It's the outer 10% of a limb that does 90% of the work. I still think you would have had a bow if you had left it. Can't prove it now.
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Jim he has already taken four rings off and those voids only got bigger. What do you suppose the belly side would have looked like had he left it as-is and "just made a bow"? I think you know that answer.
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Yep good decision to remove rings.Those cracks were not drying type checks.Pretty suspicious.Not being able to handle the wood is a disadvantage.
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thanks again guys, I think I`ll do what I mentioned: this will be the first bow for my little grandson, maybe in one or two years
Greetings
Hans