Friday 23 November 2012

Splice Repair Progress + Update


It's always difficult to try and analyse a break or glue line failure unless there is an obvious problem.
There was no such obvious fault so this time I am just being ultra careful.
I've mixed the glue using Highland Spring water which is very pure and not full of dissolved Calcium salts like the stuff I get from the tap. I allowed the glue to rest after mixing to get any air bubbles out of it, I didn't glue it up last night in case the temperature dropped too low and I took a lot of care jigging it up to be held firmly in alignment but without undue clamping pressure.
As one of the guys on Primitive Archer put it, too bad a fit can cause a failure or too good a fit, clamped too hard can cause a failure!
I also put masking tape around the joint to retain the glue as it was being pushed together and strapped up with rubber strip. As I bound it there was a nice ooze of glue as the excess came out. In the pics, you can see the repair to the pointed part of the splice where I've patched in a piece of Yew (from the same original log) taking care to keep the grain lined up. This will all get shaped in once it's glued up and then a belly patch added to give the correct handle bulk.
You can also see the dry assembly on the jig checking it all fits, then the final glue up.
Note I've not bound it up with too much rubber.
All I need now is some patience.
Once this is glued up I can look at a sapwood back patch over the splice to build up the grip area.

Update:- 8PM, I took of the wrapping and the splice looks good and solid, the limbs are nicely aligned. I rasped the belly down to blend in the two limbs and flatten and area for the belly patch. I did the same on the back and was just about to put a coarse belt back on the belt sander to clean up the two flattened areas, when the litle voice in my head said time to quit while I was ahead, don't rush it.
I'm pretty confident now.
Getting a 31" draw from a 71.5" nock to nock bow should be making it work pretty hard, but my old Yew bow has done it and that's heavier draw weight and about an inch and a half shorter.
mustn't count my chickens before they are hatched.

No comments:

Post a Comment