Yew sap wood???

[Bryce]

The real "Spring" in yew lies in the heartwood.
The sapwood is worthless in compression.
But the heartwood is both excellent in compression as well as tension.
I have a few other things to say about yew and its use of sapwood, but I'm afraid it would cause too many arguments  so I dare not lol

-Pinecone

[snag]

I'm all ears.....

[coaster500]

Not looking for arguments but information is king and information backed with experience is gold, right???

Bryce why do so many builders use the layer of sapwood if the heart wood is a better choice I've build a couple of Yew bows but worked the sapwood down as recommended for the backs of both. I've got a couple more staves maybe I could take a different approach and make one all heartwood.


??  I'm with Snag

[Del the cat]

The real "Spring" in yew lies in the heartwood.
The sapwood is worthless in compression.
But the heartwood is both excellent in compression as well as tension.
I have a few other things to say about yew and its use of sapwood, but I'm afraid it would cause too many arguments  so I dare not lol

-Pinecone

Yeah, those medieval English bowyers were just plain dumb.
Del

[ErictheViking]

I'm with Del. It's hard to argue with yew sapwood holding beautifully up to 200lb warbows. I would find it hard to believe the heartwood could do the same even if you could chase the ring on a 60-70rpi stave. NA's took all the sapwood off because they generally used sinew and there is some people who have experienced the sinew separating the sapwood from the heartwood if not removed. I will (once my staves are dry) stick with sapwood backs.

[Bryce]

Before everyone misunderstands me and think I'm anti-sapwood. I agree the sapwood makes an excellent backing and is the best tension wood around.

Coaster, bc it's a good setup! And easier Lol yew is probably the best selfbow wood around (shush Osage snobs)
Back is tension strong and the belly resist compression. I know you all know these I just want to clarify. If you have a perfectly good stave with good sapwood just leave it lol don't ruin a good stave lol but if the wood was diseased or mared, I would say take it off you'll be fine.

Oh del, you misunderstand me:D them bowyers got game!

Eric, I'm sorry and I don't mean to offend but your only half right.
The NA's also made selfbows of only heartwood, and some also had sapwood but if they did it was a very small amount. There have also been European yew heartwood bows.
I didn't say the heartwood was as strong in tension, but it's still good.
And I've also read that most of those war bows only lasted so long before they broke, but that bit of info is from a not-so reliable source.
I will say that if you have an all heartwood bow and back with sinew and get the neutral plane as close as you can to the back. You have a bow that shoots like a dream

My thoughts on yew sapwood are hard to get across and explain over a keyboard. And w/o a chalk board.
If you disagree with me that's fine. But I really don't want this to turn into bickering. Seems to be a touchy subject.
Yew sapwood is good stuff, just not always neccisary.

[dwardo]

The sapwood is worthless in compression.
-Pinecone

I think its this statement that just kind of jumped out. I am pretty sure there are more bows out there that have a lot of sapwood and perform well. My last pulls near 50lbs at 28 and is only 60" long and has taken less than an inch of set. So i think "worthless in compression" might be a bit strong

[snag]

I thought the back was not under compression. It is under tension. Yew sap wood is great under tension. So as long as the sap wood isn't more than the heartwood it should be ok.  Right?

[Carson (CMB)]

I have a few other things to say about yew and its use of sapwood, but I'm afraid it would cause too many arguments  so I dare not lol

Bryce, I think it was this non-statement, statement that led us to believe it would be to your heart's content to see all yew staves and bows alike have their sapwood torn from their backs and burned at the stake 

Snag, if the sapwood is thick enough the outer third of a bow limb can be all sapwood and shoot just the same.  Maybe this is what dwardo was referring to.   

I just want to ad, I love the way yew sapwood curls out from under a spokeshave. It has such non-wood properties, it feels like butter as much as it looks like butter.  I wonder if baker or anyone else compared specific gravity of sapwood and heartwood. 

[Del the cat]

I have a few other things to say about yew and its use of sapwood, but I'm afraid it would cause too many arguments  so I dare not lol

Bryce, I think it was this non-statement, statement that led us to believe it would be to your heart's content to see all yew staves and bows alike have their sapwood torn from their backs and burned at the stake 

Snag, if the sapwood is thick enough the outer third of a bow limb can be all sapwood and shoot just the same.  Maybe this is what dwardo was referring to.   

I just want to ad, I love the way yew sapwood curls out from under a spokeshave. It has such non-wood properties, it feels like butter as much as it looks like butter.  I wonder if baker or anyone else compared specific gravity of sapwood and heartwood.

Butter! How dare you? I think of it as cheese myself, the sapwood is a nice cheddar or maybe an Edam, the heartwood is a dry old Parmesan 
I think that maybe the sapwood is more tolerant of violations and defects which makes it better than the heartwood as a backing. I wouldn't trust a heartwood back with a knot through it, but a sapwood back can stand it. (Just my opinion)
Del

[Bryce]

BURN THEM ALL!!! No I'm kidding lol
I guess I shouldn't have been so vague, I know better now lol

TBB4 page 57 has a good blurb about yew sapwood that's worth a read.
Also in TBB1 the chapter of western native bows by Steve alley, is one I've read backwards and forwards.

  did you say cheese!

[dwardo]

Definately Parmigiano-Reggiano