Broke my second bow today!!

[Jakesnyder]

So this was a sinew backed sugar maple. I used a very thin hide glue as I was experimenting with how thin you can actually make the glue. It had probably 400 shots through it and shot fast and hard. Any idea from the pic if it was a compression fail or tension fail? Also it was very dumb of me to shoot a bow that was sitting in a house that had the wood burner running for a month now. I'm thinking it was way too dry. Let me know what you guys think.

[bassman211]

That stinks when you get a good shooting bow, and after so many shots it breaks. I had a series of wild choke cherry bows do that. Get back up, dust yourself off, and try all over again.  Most of use have been, and done that at one time , or another.

[Muskyman]

That sucks for sure. And now I’m curious about the to dry part of your post. I’ve been working on a Osage bow, rawhide backed recently and shot about 20 times before the backing was put on. It to has been kept in a room heated by a wood stove. Not trying to hijack your thread here, just concerned about the to dry part..
Again sorry about your bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

Sorry. Grab another stave and have at it. You'll get it.
I had around 14 breaks and/or low poundage bows before I got  a hunting weight shooter.
Jawge

[Will B]

Sorry to see that Jake; especially a good shooting sinew-backed bow. No idea why it happened but I feel your pain. I’ve broke a number of bows after shooting them in. Frustrating…

[superdav95]

It’s hard to say for jake.  I feel your pain though.  Ive broken a number of bows.  It’s never fun.   If I was to guess based purely on what you stated and the pic I would say compression break looking at that last pic across the belly.  The sinew may have been a another part in this if glue was too thin and starved for bonding the fibers together.  It’s odd that the sinew is broken also with the wood.   I’ve had sinew bows break on me and usually it’s the core that fails and sinew held its layer intact.  On my last sinew bow break my core break was even visible under the sinew layer still intact.  Just a guess at possible causes for your bow.   Just as a heads up for you next one only use very thin glue when putting your sizing coats on then use 30-40% hide glue for applying the sinew to the bow.  I also light scuff or hack saw blade scuff the back to prep for sinew.  Also see if you can salvage that sinew too.  Best of luck and make another and learn what you can from this one. 

Cheers.

[Pappy]

Sorry for you loss, that always stinks, my guess is it was to dry, I do keep all my bows inside but try not to get to close to the heat source , especially wood hear or gas. 
 Pappy

[PEARL DRUMS]

Typical of me, I will go against the grain here. I don't think it was too dry. Too dry would require extreme dryness to the point it would affect you as well. I think it was more likely a compression failure looking at your break. Maple is decent in tension and so-so in compression. Add sinew to it and the belly didn't stand a chance in that fight. A tiller pic may help answer the question as well.

Only your second break? Jake, you must not have made many since I've been away

[Jakesnyder]

         Yea it was a test bow really. I've made a couple other sinew backed sugar maple bows with really good success until this one.
         I have made several pearl drums but not completed many. The problem is I'm pretty picky when it comes to bow building and if I run into a little issue with a bow I'm working on I tend to set it to the side and start over.

[Stixnstones]

+1 what Pearl said.... hell I broke 2 last week