Anything I need to know about yew?

[Lee Lobbestael]

Well I have to yew billets that I have been avoiding for several years because I have never spliced before. I finally picked them up today and cut the z splice in them. I have alot of sanding and filing to do to get them to fit perfect but with luck I will have a nice piece of yew to work with in a few days.

I have never worked with yew before. Here are the things I think I know: leave an 1/8" or so of sap wood on back, you don't have to stay on one growth ring on the back, and yew can get compression fractures easily.

I was planning on making a flat bow about an 1 5/8" wide. Is there anything I should know before I get started? Also does yew chrysal as easily as black locust? I hope not!

[Weylin]

I've never seen a chrysal on yew. Not saying it cant happen but I definitely don't think it is prone to it. Yew has great compression strength, that's why it can take such a narrow profile without suffering from the set that other woods would take. I would also say that 1/4" is a better sapwood thickness to shoot for. I think if you try to reduce down to 1/8" you might run the risk of having islands of heartwood on the back.

What is the length of your stave and what draw weight and draw length are you hoping for? That will help determine an appropriate width.

Yew's really amazing stuff, you definitely want to treat it right but I don't think that you need to worry at all about chrysals on a well designed and tillered bow.

[Lee Lobbestael]

That is why my list was titled, Things I think I know! Well I already brought the back down to a little over a 1/8" of sap wood. Hope I didn't wreck it. I was thinking of shooting for 68" ntn and an 1 5/8" wide at the fades tapering to under a 1/2" tips with antler overlays. I was hoping for around 52#@28". Maybe this is a little over built but I want a dependable longlasting bow that I can always depend on if my other bows break

[rossfactor]

I think you need to know that Yew is junk wood, and you can send it to me for disposal! I don't think you'll have problems with 1/8th" thickness.  Heck plenty of dependable and long lasting all heartwood Yew bows have been made.

Gabe

[Weylin]

Hey, if you brought it down to 1/8" and it looks good I'm sure it's fine. i think those dimensions will get you the bow you need no problem. Have fun with it, yew is magical!

[_Jon_]

So far on my Yew I've discovered while taking the wood off the belly, a little scrapping can go a long ways.  Slow and easy as Pappy says, slow and easy.   

[vinemaplebows]

I have seen Chrylsing around knotted areas before, where the knot has rotted out.

[Del the cat]

Go a thicker than 1/8" initially as it's easy to get carried away and ind you are 1/8 on one edge and 1/128" on t'other (unless you've found the only symetrical stave in existence). You don't have to follow a ring, but try to keep it smooth and even with a minimum of violations and those you do have want to be smooth and feathered or angled if possible. I work the sapwood down in stages, get it pretty much right at floor tiller, then keep tiying it up as I progress, so it's pretty clean by the time it's back to brace height and then make sure it's really smooth and clean before any real big flexing. Trying to do it in one hit would drive you nuts.
Like any wood, if you start to feel the edged tools trying to dig in at swirls/knots etc reach for the rasp/file etc.
Enjoy, it's lovely stuff to work,
Del

[dwardo]

Like any wood, if you start to feel the edged tools trying to dig in at swirls/knots etc reach for the rasp/file etc.
Enjoy, it's lovely stuff to work,
Del

Very easy to ruin a nice stave by pulling up grain because its so soft so watch out. Keep telling my self the same thing then swearing profusely......

[Pappy]

Very soft and easy to mash when trying to straighten or bend,shim it good and don't go to tight on the clamps. Also as others have said,a little can do a lot when scrapping.I'm Not very experienced with Yew but have worked enough to know this stuff.
   Pappy

[Lee Lobbestael]

Thanks guys! can't wait to get er bending but I'm gonna try to take it slow