[somoss]

well they say you get what you pay for. i was given a longbow for free as long as i paid shipping. i got it yesterday and saw that one of the tips had two lengthwise (tip to tip direction) cracks on them one on each side of one of the string nock points. the other end looks fine. the crack runs about 2 inches towards the other tip, and is visible only after you try and string the bow.
the bow shoots fine but my questions:
1) can i fix this? can i cut the tips down 1.5 inches and make new nocks?
2)can i attach (glue, exposy....) something to the tip to strengthen the tip and decrease the importance of this crack.
the layers of the tip are still intact.
help.....i really wanted this bow to work out.
can someone recommend an artice or post on selecting the correct string?
thanks

 

[RHC]

Is this a solid wood bow? Laminated wood bow? OR glass laminated bow?

 

[somoss]

glass

i have take a close look, i am very new to all of this. the bow is a Ben Pearson Cougar 706-64". if that helps, from others descriptions i believe this is glass laminated but i may be wrong. how can i check?

 

[RHC]

Not sure of the model. I have a Pearson Cougar that is a 62in recurve. Might be only stress crack in glass. Can you tell how deep the crack is when strung?

 

[Fl archer]

Thats a tough call, even a bow that appears perfect can break. I have heard, that a bow can be shot with shallow vertical stress cracks and I have heard the cracks will get worse over time and lead to limb failure.

Any damage to a bow is suspect and tip damage is really suspect. If the crack is through the glass and into the wood, I would use it as a wall hanger or turn it over to a pro and see what he suggest. I have tried bow repairs with epoxy and fiberglass and it ended with poor results. Cutting the tips off and cutting in new tips would be a job for a pro, even if possible. It's probably not a good option.

If you feel the bow is not safe , put it away and try to find a replacement. Check Ebay... I see BP cougars frequently selling for under 100.00. That is less the the cost of an injury

 

[somoss]

how do i tell if it's laminated or fiber or solid?

the cracks go all the way thru from just behing the nock cut outs down about 1.5 inches. how about glueing a nice "horn" tip over them or something else?
i am starting to think it's a wall hanger.

 

[vermonster13]

Post some pictures. Sometimes all it takes is some superglue to fix, depends on what's there.

 

[RHC]

somoss,do you mean you can see light through the crack? Post pictures if you can.

 

[somoss]

light thru crack

yes i can see light through the crack, pix to be posted later on tonight after work.

 

[RHC]

I'm no bowyer but if you can see through the limb I think it would be safer to hang it up. It's not worth getting hurt or blinded.

 

[somoss]

finally got some pix

herer are some pix. if i grab the tip and twis a little i can see some ligth throu the crack.

 

[DanceswithDingo]

She's cactus, start looking for a new bow. :darkbeer: btw its a recurve

 

[Fl archer]

It is difficult to tell much from the photos,but it does seem to be a deep crack. Again, if it's completly through the glass..... Hang it on the wall. I am no expert and there may be a fix for it..... but I don't think so. And if there was, it probably would not be cost effective. ... Good luck

 

[vermonster13]

Good news, you can now purchase a new bow. Bad news the one you have is ready for retirement. No fixing that kind of bow with that crack.

 

[somoss]

wall hanger

i think i have a wall hanger. my first and only bow.

 

[Fl archer]

Don't let one bad bow stop you from being part of a wonderful sport. There are many bows for sale at all price ranges. Check out Ebay and do a search for Recurve bow, or Long bow.... start out with a light weight

 

[snakey122]

I have only recently bent my homemade osage orange longbow, but a 2 inch crack appeared on the fade between the static and working limb. It looks to be a fourth of the way through the bow maybe even half way, but it is not very wide and I am not able to see light through the crack. Is this a problem for my bow? Is there anyway I can fill in this crack or diminish it?

 

[snakey122]

Please help!!!

 

[guyver]

Pictures help

 

[FORESTGUMP]

well they say you get what you pay for. i was given a longbow for free as long as i paid shipping. i got it yesterday and saw that one of the tips had two lengthwise (tip to tip direction) cracks on them one on each side of one of the string nock points. the other end looks fine. the crack runs about 2 inches towards the other tip, and is visible only after you try and string the bow.
the bow shoots fine but my questions:
1) can i fix this? can i cut the tips down 1.5 inches and make new nocks?
2)can i attach (glue, exposy....) something to the tip to strengthen the tip and decrease the importance of this crack.
the layers of the tip are still intact.
help.....i really wanted this bow to work out.
can someone recommend an artice or post on selecting the correct string?
thanks

Yep,you got what you paid for, if you consider the shipping cost as valuable education. Lots of things are possible, whether it's prudent or not is another story. I see several cracks on the bow that are sure to cause a serious failure and possibly injury to yourself or someone else. Your best bet, take a hacksaw to it so that no one tries to use it in the future.Sorry, but you just don't have the experience and expertise to attempt a repair.