Hello Lazy Drifter,
That's a nice "time capsule" piece you have there. I remember when when we sold that same bow in our family store, Northwest Archery, south of Seattle. At that time my father was also a traveling rep. for Bear Archery and we served as a western warehouse for Bear Archery.
The stress cracks you describe were a feature of the old 3M glass that Bear used at the time. They aren't really showing any excessive wear or stress, but are rather just something that glass did, usually within a year or so of manufacture. Unless there is a crack that travels out to the edge of a limb, so that there is an obvious or possible sliver exposed, those checks may not be of any particular concern. There are many bows just like yours still in use. On the other hand, it's clear that the bow has meaning to you, and in the case of all old bows, you never know. Sometimes they will break.
There is nothing that you can do to make that bow more secure or to render it safer to shoot. Also there is nothing useful in trying to reinforce it in any way. Any fragility will be internal and not external.
Also, if it were mine, I would not attempt refinish it. A simple coat of Johnson's Brand Paste Floor Wax will serve to fill in any small cracks. In any case, I would not plan on taking it out into the rain for a 5 day Peninsula Elk hunt. I'd keep it a fair weather bow.
If you do have the urge to see it looking like new, there is a local (Seattle) area guy, Don Ward, known nationally as the "Bow Doc", who does an absolute museum quality epoxy factory refinish. He is the only fellow in the country who's refinishes add value to an older, distressed Bear Bow. Every Bear Bow collector in the country knows what a "Ward Finish" is. I don't know what he's currently charging, but I'm guessing $175-200. He does make them look like they just left the factory, removing check, cracks and all. I don't have a current contact for Don Ward, but if you Google "Bear Don Ward" or "Don Ward bowdoc" or "bow doc", I think you located him.
Again, if the bow is not sound, which it may not be. a refinish will not fix internal defects. No one can say for sure if it safe to shoot.
One path you might follow is to treat it as you might a newly built wooden bow. Put a new proper length bow string on it - brace height around 6 1/2" - and try easing it back to a full draw. Do this with some short partial draws listening for any sounds (bows should make any sounds!) and inspecting it for anything new as you go. I would try to "proof" it by overdrawing it (beyond 28"-29"). Those old bows never did like long draws.
If all seems fine - if it were mine, I might then try shooting.
In any case - have fun, It looks beautuful!
