# how do you know if stress cracks are serious



## grouse (Dec 9, 2003)

Buddy has a recurve, but it has a stress crack in the limb. I cant tell how deep it goes and it doesnt seem to affect shooting. How do I know if its going to be a problem? Are these common on older bows?


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

grouse -

Couple of problems with the internet. What you call a stress crack and what I call a stress crack may be two different things. I personally would not buy a bow with any cracks in the glass, except as a wall hanger. If a bow I already owned developed a stress crack, I would mark the ends or put a piece of masking tape over it, only up to the ends. If the crack travels beyond those markers, the bow becomes a wall hanger.

Some folks do try to repair the cracks with crazy glue or loc-tite 420, sometimes it works, sometimes not. IMHO, just not worth it. With places like eBay, ANY bow, even vintage models are replacable and therefore not worth the risk of injury.

Viper1 out.


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## tpoof (Dec 18, 2005)

Viper is right in sayng its hard to know if the crack is bad without seeing it!
It would be nice to have some pics 
I may be sticking my neck out by saying, if the cracks are horizantal across the limb they are somewaht more dangerous than those that run the vertically in the limb!, neither are good!
Pics would help, wear a helmet when shooting! lol


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## grouse (Dec 9, 2003)

I could get pics, but I dont think it would help much. I appreciate the info. THe crack is about 10" long in the limb and it runs vertically.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

grouse -

Stress cracks are vertical, horizontal cracks are show stoppers.

If the crack is 10" long - the bow is a wall hanger.

Viper1 out.


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## tpoof (Dec 18, 2005)

Ya, she's over!,, put the ol girl up somewhere deserving!
Think of how many shots she had!, she's done her part!

Time for a new one!!!


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## Handshock (Jan 24, 2007)

Don't know how old your buddies bow is, but many of the older vintage bows had stress fractures in the glass, where the limb fades from the riser. These were caused by overdraw testing in the factory, or by exotic wood handles drying out after completion.

Either way the will cause NO PROBLEM. They are simply vertical cracks, that take away from appearance. Can't tell you how many vintage bows I have owned, and shot with them. Now, if they spread out to the tips, and become so wide that they pop the finish, you may have a wall hanger, but other than that, SHOOT IT.....!!!

BTW, I have a pic of a Bear Grizzly recurve being drawn on a machine so far that there is just about 12" between the limb tips. A testament to how strong fiberglass is.


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## dkard (Sep 25, 2004)

*be Careful*

I have several older bows with a stress line in the limb. They were on the riser fadeouts. I have been shooting it for 2-3 years now. 

I bought a bow on ebay, a Pearson Javelina with beautiful wood in the riser. It had a stress line just like on the bows I have been shooting. It did not look bad at all, I was quite happy with my purchase. I made a string for the bow. While Trying to string her, she came apart in my hands. The limb completely seperated from the riser. I hate to think what would have happened if it held a while longer and came apart at full draw. 

Anyway be careful.

dave


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## Fl archer (Jul 1, 2006)

IMO, stress cracks will get deeper and longer over time with use. It is only a matter of time before the limb will fail. The only question is when. Kinda like a car with balding tires.... you might get by for another hundred miles or they may pop next trip. It just depends on the bow gods.


Hang it on the wall... why risk breaking the bow or causing yourself or someone else injury


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

FL -

Yup - Not only can the crack travel, but it can and does provide an entry point for moisture. Even if the crack doesn't travel, moisture into the lamination usually results in limb failure - sooner or later. 

Kinda like using a FF string on a bow that's not designed for it. It may not fail immediately, but the odds are it will again, sooner or later.

Handshock - 

as usual, looks like your info is a bit faulty. I know of no one would would have accepted a bow from a dealer with a factory stress crack, not now and not 40 years ago.

There have been several demonstrations on how far a bow can be safely drawn. Nice for publicity, but the damage occurs on shock, (when the string stops the limbs forward motion) and not on the draw unless the outer limb material's modulus of elasticity has been exceded. If you're willing to try that with any or your bows, please be my guest - I'll pass.

Viper1 out.


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## voodoofire1 (Jan 24, 2006)

Listen to Viper, the man knows his stuff, This happened to me last night while I was stringing it, no cracks, no stress marks, nothing but tic.. tic..BOOM, a helmet wouldn't have helped ,but a cup would have been nice!


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## Handshock (Jan 24, 2007)

> as usual, looks like your info is a bit faulty.


It's only faulty to your agenda Viper.......:wink: 




> I know of no one would would have accepted a bow from a dealer with a factory stress crack, not now and not 40 years ago.


Perhaps you never knew one, but the fact remains that there were literal thousands, and thousands of vintage bows, from Damon Howatt, Bear, Wing, Shakespeare, Root, and so forth sent out with stress cracks in them.

The even greater FACT is that most of these bows are still in working order, and can be safely shot. This is not just my opinion, but rather the opinion of thousands of bowyers, collectors, and shooters alike. If you understood the properities of fiberglass you would understand what a stress crack actually was, and how little it effected safety.

I would suggest that you spend a little time conversing with people in the know about this subject. Perhaps begin with some of the older bowyers, and then move unto the collectors, and shooters who have been shooting thousands of these "unsafe" bows for the last 40 years or so.......:wink: 




> There have been several demonstrations on how far a bow can be safely drawn. Nice for publicity, but the damage occurs on shock, (when the string stops the limbs forward motion) and not on the draw unless the outer limb material's modulus of elasticity has been exceded. If you're willing to try that with any or your bows, please be my guest - I'll pass.


Again, you have made my point, and I thank you........:wink: Stress fractures are small vertical lines that come out of the fade outs, and run WITH the glass, mainly in the non working limb section. Limb shock, and vibration does not create, or further stress fractures, since stress fractures occur very early in a bows life from being factory overdrawn. Limb shock effects things like poor glue lines, and horizontal cracks in fiberglass, but NOT stress fractures.


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## Handshock (Jan 24, 2007)

voodoofire1 said:


> Listen to Viper, the man knows his stuff, This happened to me last night while I was stringing it, no cracks, no stress marks, nothing but tic.. tic..BOOM, a helmet wouldn't have helped ,but a cup would have been nice!



What does your bow failure have to due with stress fractures in bows?. It is clear that there was an obvious flaw in your bow, perhaps a poor glue line, a faulty stringing attempt, or prolonged exposure to heat, but it has nothing to do with stress cracks, nor does it prove that stress cracks end up as failed bows.


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## Handshock (Jan 24, 2007)

> Yup - Not only can the crack travel, but it can and does provide an entry point for moisture. Even if the crack doesn't travel, moisture into the lamination usually results in limb failure - sooner or later.


Incorrect Viper. Most Stress cracks are caused fron factory overdrawing of bows. The Bear archery company for example would draw a tillered bow as far as 36" in a stress test. If the bow held it was sent to sand, and finish.

The fact is, most stress cracks are under the finish of a bow, therefore moisture is not an issue, anymore than any other bow. It should also be pointed out that you are also incorrect about these bows failing sooner or later. 




The fact is, very few of these bows fail, and actually many of them are still in service decades after the cracks first appeared on the bows. I would suggest that you spend some time conversing with actual bowyers, collectors, and shooters of these bows. You may be suprized.


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## tpoof (Dec 18, 2005)

*Hey Voodoofire 1*



> tic.. tic..BOOM,


:mg: 

sorry for your loss


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