got some suprise wood today

[bubby]

my neighbor is a caretaker at a local golf course, brought me home a bunch of paper birch about 6" dia stuff,will get atleast 4-5 bows out of it and some shorter stuff for billets, good idea not to po the guy next door

[BowEd]

Heck ya bub.Can the bark on that be good for backing too?Paper birch reads about in the mid 50s' for density.I've never worked it before though.
I just found a couple of Iowa Yew growing in the town next door I can have.They got 8 to 9 inch trunks.I see bows there but wonder about the quality of the Yew in Iowa.I'm not going to be able to get mine delivered though.....LOL.Nice score bub.

[bubby]

only way to find out about that Iowa yew is to make some bows and then you'll know, don't know about the bark but it is nice having it hand delivered

[BowEd]

Yep I know.Gotta pull some shavings to find out about this yew.Thought maybe someone might have gone through this scenario before.Still does'nt tell me enough.I'll have to find out myself.
Your bark if taken off carefully can be used as a backing.Over sinew I think it's better protection from moisture than snake skin.

[Joec123able]

Heck ya bub.Can the bark on that be good for backing too?Paper birch reads about in the mid 50s' for density.I've never worked it before though.
I just found a couple of Iowa Yew growing in the town next door I can have.They got 8 to 9 inch trunks.I see bows there but wonder about the quality of the Yew in Iowa.I'm not going to be able to get mine delivered though.....LOL.Nice score bub.

You can cut that Iowa yew and give it to me I live in Iowa also I say it's worth a try

[osage outlaw]

Your post title cracked me up.  I didn't think you were that old 

Congrats on the paper birch.

[Badly Bent]

That sounds like a good neighbor you got bub, look forward to seeing what you make from that birch. Save that bark for backing too, I;m am just putting the final few coats of tru-oil on a birch backed mulberry bow and I'm really liking the look of it and it held up well thru the shoot in. I just did to try something different but I like the look so much that I'll back another one again.

[Carson (CMB)]

Nice score Bub! It doesnt get much easier than that. 

[paulsemp]

nothing wrong with a little surprise wood 
I have 3 Paper Birch staves seasoned   and been a little hesitant to start on them ,  it seems awfully soft
 have you ever built any bows out of paper birch bub?

[bubby]

thank's guy's, outlaw I aint THAT old, thanks Greg, Beadman i'll save the bark too, Paul I've made a couple, Baker says it is somewhat brittle in tension but it seems pretty good to me I backed a walnut bow with it made a nice shooter, that's how to do it carson easy peasy

[BowEd]

I've been googling a bit to identify this yew I found here in Iowa.I think it's some type of irish yew.Used for privacy hedges etc.A retired neighbor living in the country told me he had a paper birch that died from the drought last summer here in Iowa.I've seen it.Looks like there's bows in that one too.Think it's big enough to get some 2' strips off the circumference of the tree too.I've put that birch bark on a sinewed maple and worked great in looks and function.Got to get it down to at least 1/32" thick or less though.Some people might want to use a drum sander for this but I used my curved scraper no problem.It came off in identifieable layers so it all was the same thickness.

[TRACY]

Your post title cracked me up.  I didn't think you were that old 

Congrats on the paper birch.

Title got me as well! HAHAHA