Horn cracking
Call for help, my hornbow has developed a hairline crack in the horn right in the bending area of the arm. The bow has pulled into reflex very nicely it seems that exposed some kind of weakness in that hornstrip.The crack runs parrallel to the length.There are a few more squigglies in that same horn.Anybody have any suggestions as to what to do? Thanks in advance.
hi Eppo,
maybe you used a horn with a small diameter, so it has a steep cross-section and you cut more growthrings of the horn while cutting your hornstrip. This happens too when you use the inner circle of a horn.
Anyway if the cracks run along the limbs, you can fill them with hideglue, observe very well what happens from time to time, maybe some wrapping will be necessary. Check if the glueing of the horn and the core is ok.
Have you coated your hornstrips before glueing them to the core several times with hideglue?
I can?t find a translation for "squigglies", so I don?t know what it is?
Good luck, Michael
maybe you used a horn with a small diameter, so it has a steep cross-section and you cut more growthrings of the horn while cutting your hornstrip. This happens too when you use the inner circle of a horn.
Anyway if the cracks run along the limbs, you can fill them with hideglue, observe very well what happens from time to time, maybe some wrapping will be necessary. Check if the glueing of the horn and the core is ok.
Have you coated your hornstrips before glueing them to the core several times with hideglue?
I can?t find a translation for "squigglies", so I don?t know what it is?
Good luck, Michael
Hello Redhawk
Thank you for replying.The strip came from what appeared to be a good horn.It was supposed to be a matched set.The other strip seems to be fine .I cut the strips myself.They were cut from the outside of the horn.
All I did was beltsand the outside till it was clean and then they were bandsawed and so forth.The glueing was done the proper way,many coats till a shiney layer was built up on the core and horn.A final thicker glueing and then the rope trick with a stringwalker.There is no separation between horn and wood anywhere.The crack is very fine.I warmed the area and it seemed to soak up some glue.The profile of the bow has not changed at all.I feel like ripping the strip off . That might be a bit radical.
Squigglie is is something not straight,it looks like an imprint from a rope in this case
Thank you for replying.The strip came from what appeared to be a good horn.It was supposed to be a matched set.The other strip seems to be fine .I cut the strips myself.They were cut from the outside of the horn.
All I did was beltsand the outside till it was clean and then they were bandsawed and so forth.The glueing was done the proper way,many coats till a shiney layer was built up on the core and horn.A final thicker glueing and then the rope trick with a stringwalker.There is no separation between horn and wood anywhere.The crack is very fine.I warmed the area and it seemed to soak up some glue.The profile of the bow has not changed at all.I feel like ripping the strip off . That might be a bit radical.
Squigglie is is something not straight,it looks like an imprint from a rope in this case
Eppo, ripping off the horn is really radical. I know some working hornbows with these fine cracks. This could be only a visual question, but I guess that you don?t feel quite sure with this cracking, cause I?ve in mind that this bow is your first hornbow. So do what makes you feel allright with the bow.
Michael
Michael
Hi Michael
Yes it is my first hornbow,and two more have been started last week.The first one taught me a lot.I love it.
Problem is I want it to be perfect but that may be a bit unrealistic of me.
That crack is really fine but about six mm long .I,m going to go with your suggestion of wrapping it and when it's time to open it I'll be very careful
and warm it up really nice.The Tepeliks are made,it's just the wait now.
Yes it is my first hornbow,and two more have been started last week.The first one taught me a lot.I love it.
Problem is I want it to be perfect but that may be a bit unrealistic of me.
That crack is really fine but about six mm long .I,m going to go with your suggestion of wrapping it and when it's time to open it I'll be very careful
and warm it up really nice.The Tepeliks are made,it's just the wait now.