I bicycle up a nearby canyon (no motors allowed) to a patch of yew eight miles upstream and haul out a future projects.
The yew log I gathered up in 2005 was not long enough for a stave so I had to cut billets and z-joint them.
I followed the article written by Jim Boswell in the April/May 2007 of PA closely. I freaked out applying pressure only to shape the limb and used my heat gun to preshape the portion near the tips. I did email Jim, though, and he assured me that I could have used only the form and clamps.
I appreciated Jim's quick email response - Goes to show you how folks are willing to help out. 
I used 1/8" hickory strips that were given to me as a gift and resorcinol glue.
The two billets did not respond to the overall glueup/clamp process equally. Twice, I used my heat gun to adjust the limb shape. Tillering, too, the different billets was a task.
Anyway, this is a 45# R/D hickory backed yew bow with these specs:
66" ntn / 1 1/2" wide 1 1/2" above the 4"handle - not much of a flare / 1/2" tip overlays made of oak and
IpeHandle has a scrap of osage to thicken the handle. Hope to cover it with leather tomorrow.
Hickory strips are stained with Minwax Jacobean stain. The entire bow has two coats of polyurethane.
Not my best bow by a long shot
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