I see the word "CRAZING" used on **** listings alot. Some Crazing on the limb surface etc... what do you think they mean when they use this term?

Sort of random cracking of the finish; usually a sign of a less than optimal refinsh job, but it happens sometimes to old factory finishes too.

QuoteOriginally posted by Swamp Yankee:
Sort of random cracking of the finish; usually a sign of a less than optimal refinsh job, but it happens sometimes to old factory finishes too.

Is  that generally not an issue?

It's fairly common on older production bows.  Horizontal checks in the finish -- often show up as lots of close parallel lines where the limb flexes the most, usually just beyond the fade-outs on the belly side of the limbs.  Pretty ugly to look at but doesn't affect the shootability or durability of the bow.

Here is a pretty good example.  Some are much worse, some not so bad.  Pretty much a cosemtic issue in most cases until it gets to the point that moisture could penetrate the cracks and cause further problems.  
 

Whips photo shows a very common deal with older bows; but I aways called it stress lines.  Crazing to me is more random in every direction.  It's all semantics for the most part and either way most of these things are in the finish and not a problem.  I have bought quite a few good bows on the **** site; but I aways want to see a LOT of photos before pulling the trigger and don't pay much attention at all to the written descriptions.

Crazing or stress lines on the limbs that are just in the finish aren't a worry. A good refinishing makes them look like a million dollars. I see more in older original finishes than refinishes though.

Here is an example of another type of crack common in many of the older bows.  These are actually in the glass rather than the finish. Again, some are worse than others.  Some bows might just have one short crack near the riser, while others of the same model and year might be covered with them.

They can sometimes be hidden to some extent, but they really can't be removed.  Although they are in the glass itself, since they run the same direction of the limbs they are generally safe to shoot.  Lots of bows still in the woods today that have cracks like this.

I know this is an old thread but thought I would reactivate it in order to continue this often brought up discussion. There have been many posts on archery forums both in the US and Europe regarding CRAZING or those fine horizontal STRESS LINES across a bow's limb(s).  While some posts have discussed refinishing the bow's exterior finish surface to remove the lines I have yet to see a post where someone has described any means of FILLING IN the lines with some kind of acrylic or lacquer finisher as is often used in wood furniture for example.  I do wood working and have been thinking of trying some of these products on one of my bows to see if I can clear up those lines without totally refinishing a bow.  I have done total refinish jobs on recurves and have had great success making an old bow look close to new but it is a lot of work.  

Question here is:  

Has anyone here on TradGang had any experience fixing CRAZING/STRESS LINES on a bow?  If YES then what did you use?

GB45

Look for bowdoc's Restoration 101 thread...should be well covered there...a wicking super glue such as Loctite 420 will work nicely if the crack actually gets to the surface

DDave

Thanks for bringing this thread back up.
These bows are safe to shoot?
I'm asking because I have a '70 Bear Grizzly that shoots really well. I've been babying it not wanting to damage it.
They are similar to the pictures Whip shows in his first picture post of the black limb, & mine are on the back of the bow. I'd really like to shoot this bow & not worry about ruining it.
Thanks.