Bear Archery produces a variety of bows, most notably traditional wooden recurve bows. A recurve bow is a technological advancement of the longbow design, imparting more kinetic energy on the arrow through the curved limbs than that of a longbow. As with all wooden bows, stress can cause fractures in the wood. These hairline fractures can ruin the bow if left unattended. You can implement a basic process to fill the crack and maintain the structural integrity of the bow.
Items you will need
Limb laminate glue or fiberglass resin
Popsicle stick
Masking or painter's tape
400-grit sandpaper
Clean off the bow using a wood cleaning solvent. Ensure that no dirt or debris is present along the cracked area.
Apply painter's tape or masking tape over the crack. Cut a slit into the tape along the hairline crack.
Fill the crack with fiberglass resin or limb laminate glue. Press the glue into the crack using a flat object such as a Popsicle stick. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
Sand down the glue using fine 400-grit sandpaper. Remove the tape and thumb the surface to ensure that its smooth. Reapply tape and sand more if needed.
Warnings
- This is a temporary fix for cracked limbs. If the crack begins to spread, have the bow inspected by a competent bow repair technician. If the bow cracks further, this can ruin the bow completely and render it unsafe to use.
Tips
- Most fiberglass resins or limb laminate glues are ideal to use. You can use super glue as well if other materials aren't available.