WHY DO TRADITIONAL BOWS BREAK? 50 Sub Special! Thanks so much!

[@trevorstewart1308]

I’ve broken five staves so far with no full success, but I’ve learned a little more each time and I’ve rewatched and dig deeper into your videos, so I consider each try to be a small success; I also hear you, in my head, saying “stay shatterproof”

[@Zhisaoka]

I have started making bows almost a month ago and so far things are going good. Even though I only made 1 succsufull bow, my skills have grown and I am happier aswell. Did you get any success yet?

[@m-alevesquefpv8971]

I came across one of your video, and since then, Im addicted to building bows! Thank you for the inspiration! I needed this new hobby! Cheers

[@UnbannedAgain]

I love breaking bows, i just broke my first ever stave after maybe 20, 30 shots and then trying some things it really didnt like and it broke while i was messing with it, testing it. But i love it cos i watched it fail along the way and with videos like these, having basically the same pieces in my hands, same breaking patterns, i can learn so much about building my next one that its changed my entrire approach on bow making.

[@conradstarks3181]

What about wrapping raw hide at the weak points? Maybe where the growth rings are the thinnest.

[@HK-mr4rv]

Congrats on 50 subs man!! Sorry about your bow. It happens dude. I finished my bow pretty much. I’ll email you some pics and videos.

[@twintwo1429]

If a backing is too strong it can cause a compression failure in the belly. If the belly's compression resistance is too high it can cause a tension failure in the back of the bow. There needs to be a balance, especially in short bows, because of the extreme bend.

[@johneves6697]

ha Kramer thanks for the info, any advice on preventing belly failure, I was making a traditional English longbow, out of spotted gum (I from Australia) and back with Mozo Bomboo, around 30mm wide 22mm at the handle pulling around 110 pounds. the belly broke through all bar the bamboo around 3/4 up the upper limb, so I bound it with sting and glue, it's dropped back to 80lbs. Was it the tilling? Is there a limit weight wise with certain timbers?

[@mr.frankenstein8967]

Thanks! It helped a lot

[@jamesspears7339]

Hey where is the video on the backing

[@meedy2023]

Hey Kramer , I was wondering if you can be extra safe and add 12-15 layers of fiberglass as a backing

[@LanceAtlas]

No, requires 42 to 45 layers of alternating fiberglass and ductape 😋

[@UnbannedAgain]

If one won't do it, 100 won't either. Eventually you just have a fiberglass bow you can use when the compression failures break the wood underneath. Point is, there's a balance, you'll be better off just making a fibreglass bow than putting anything more than a splinter lifting protection layer on the back. When you back the bow, you pull back it's tension point, and it's neutral zone between tension and compression moves further back in the bow and causes a thicker belly under compression, possibly throwing off the balance and causing too much wood to need to compress, thus causing failures.

[@-fazik-3713]

With historical bows I always tell people that the question is not "IF" they break but "WHEN" they break. Because they will break eventually.

[@Silentbet1of]

I get the frustration I broke more bows then I made although I only made 5

[@alanstanley8226]

im making a bow from leopard wood, Libidibia ferrea you should try this wood

[@Silentbet1of]

Also this doesn’t happen if you use the cut staves that fit the diameter and all you have to do is tiller down 😊 so far that what I have found bc you don’t cut any growth ring 💍 just working the belly

[@timmytombstone2028]

I'll be the sixth comment.

[@JDMFWALL]

Oof