Hazel Bow hinge near handle

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Hi all, like any new bowyer I am still learning the ropes. So far all my bows have had problems. Fist one Hazel stick bow, twist in the limb due to poor craftsman ship and rushed build. Cherry branch bow, hinge in mid limb, shoots but hand shock and big handle section due to limb cracking length wise along handle.

3rd attempt 2.5 inch diameter Hazel flat bow, bends slightly in the handle. I had to de crown the back carefully and then work the belly. Problem: I have a hinge near the handle. This only became evident when I unstrung it and noticed the set it that area. Its a very primitive bow, with bark still left on the edges to show the original width of the branch. Is the hinge near the handle a terminal problem? I do not want to string it again and make things worse, any help would be much appreciated.

My current understanding is that I would have to take wood off pretty much every where to compensate, resulting in weak bow, anyway to back that area?

Thanks for viewing

Neil
 
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Deleted member 7654

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You seem to have a pretty good understanding. Once you have a hinge, there isn't much you can do except reduce draw weight and remove wood elsewhere.
Is really a hinge or just a bit of string follow?
Maybe just taking some off on the handle side of the hinge would relieve it a little.
Flat wide bows are quite tricky to tiller as the limbs are soooo thin, just a little too much off can get you in trouble. A longer bow of a more 'longbow' profile is easier to tiller, but of course many woods won't take the stress of that sort of profile.
Persevere, but always make your bow a couple of inces too long at each tip, you can lose that length and increase the draw weight once it's safely tillered to a decent draw.
Even if it's not a great bow, shooting something you've made yorself is still a buzz, better luck next time.
Post a pic...
Del
 

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Here is the pic.



It could be heavy set, I dont have enough experience to know. I guess I dont know what to expect, was hoping it was hinge, as i thought i had cracked this bow with no set! Couldnt possibly be set, one limb takes no set at all, thats natural reflexed one.

Is it too thick then, I have no idea of weight either, I havent weighed it. I can just about string it with my home made stringer. Its around 71.5 inches noc to noc. (probably spelt that wrong, newbies eh!)
 
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Really need a pic of it at full draw or half draw to see what the tiller is like.
Was the wood well seasoned?
Del
 

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Looks like a hinge in the lower limb, but it ay be the weird perspective, difficult when its on self timer and I had use wide angle which has distorted the view a bit.

Hope this help the diagnosis, the wood was well seasoned before any work was even started. Wish it wasnt it took ages to work down.

How do i reduce hand shock by the way, is it just about reducing mass off the tips, scared the might break if I take too much off?

(Yes the serving on my string is in the wrong place - its from a longer cherry bow, shortened just I can use it for this one, whilst under construction.)

Thanks

Neil
 
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Deleted member 7654

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Nah, that's not a hinge, that's just a bit of uneven tiller. :) (All just my opinion...usual disclaimers and terms and conditions apply...)
Just ease off the upper limb a tad (in mid limb?) to even it up.
It looks like it's coming along fine.

You'll know when you have a hinge...it will make you howl and want to cry...you'll let the tension off the bow immediately and bury your head in your hands....after a few minutes panic you will mark the weak point in the limb with a big fat pencil mark and vow to never remove wood from that vicinity ever again or until even tiller has been restored.
Another test for a hinge is to check if your trousers are still dry:eek:
Del
 
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Here's a pic of some very uneven tillering which turned out fine in the end...
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Little Ash flat bow.
Del
 

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Thanks Del, I am still evening out the tiller but have some pressing matters that must be attended to before I can post the next update, probably later in the week. I only have three bows under my belt and not one has got that bad yet! Still there is always the first time. I guess if you just carve a blank down to size and test the tiller you could get something like that, I dont have any power tools so things take a bit longer here.

Thanks again ill be back soon.

Neil
 

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Now whats happened

Is this a compression fracture? its on the belly side but its huge, it runs diagonally across the very centre of the handle section and almost 1cm up each edge (side) of the bow! It feels slighly raised as well, any ideas and is it the end of bow number 3???

 

Asafan

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Yes, it is final crysalls. If you weaken shoulders, the handle will hold loading. Your hazel grove - too young and soft. Take for work a trunk of 20-25 years.
 
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