Ash Backed R/D Yew

[Marc St Louis]

I started work on this bow a couple years ago.  Initially it was Elm backed Yew but after I had tillered it to about 20" the Elm backing pulled a splinter, not the first time Elm has done that to me.  I took the backing off then shelved the bow.  A few couple weeks ago I pulled it down, cleaned up the back up and straightened the slight sideways bend it took while sitting on my shelf.  I then backed it with a plain sawn backing of White Ash, the White Ash does not disappoint me often.  The bow is 60" N to N and pulls 55# @ 28".  The limbs are 1 1/4" wide and taper to 3/8" nocks which have Bloodwood overlays.  I put a decorative backing of White Birch bark on the limbs.  Here's a few pictures

[Barrage]

Very nice bow Marc.  That backing worked out well, looks good!

[mullet]

 SWEET!, Marc. That looks fast, and I see you got fancy with your signature.

[radius]

good one as always, Marc...how thick is that yew through the handle?

[ricktrojanowski]

Mark
That is stunning!!!  If it shoots half as well as it looks, it must be a world class shooter.  What kind of glue did you glue the elm backing on with?  And how did you get the backing off?

[Keenan]

Mark, as always, a very fine weapon ,and I am continually impressed with your work.  You seem to consistently build very efficiently designed bows, with little or no wood that is non working. Those limbs just scream speed. Nice touch on the tip overlays.

[Jmilbrandt]

Awesome! I love the look of the birch bark, very nice!

[Marc St Louis]

Thanks guys.

Yes very fancy Eddie.

The Yew core is just over 1/2" thick.

I shot the bow a few times and it is fast.  I had glued the Elm backing on with TB3, pretty well the only glue I use these days.  I took most of the backing off with my bandsaw and then cleaned it up with my belt sander.  It was a heck of a job but worth the effort.

This particular bow was not spliced at the handle.  The deflex was in part dry heat bent in.  The Birch bark backing is one strip per limb.

This is a full draw of the bow as I was tillering it, I am actually pulling it to 29"

[RyanY]

Awesome. I just put some blood wood overlays on a bow I made this weekend. It's really cool wood.

[medicinewheel]

Very nice bow Mark!

[dragonman]

very nice looking bow,( I must try out this heat treating)

[Pappy]

Beautiful work Marc, very nice looking bow in all aspects..
   Pappy

[AndrewS]

You worked out really nice bows. I'm impressed, what you do with wood.

[Josh]

nice one Marc.  Love that fulldraw profile.     -josh

[bcbull]

man thats pretty marc i relley like the bark with that one  brock