Opinions please

[Don Case]

Can I have some opinions on these two pieces of yew? The smaller is just under 3" diameter and has 50ish rings. I think the ring count is a bit low but what about density?
Thanks

[Weylin]

Make a bow out of it! Let the archaeologists worry about the ring count and density.  Seriously though, many a fine bow has been made out of low ring count yew. Make it a little wider if you feel like you need to but I wouldn't sweat the ring count and density if it were mine. If you design it and tiller it well it will have just the right amount of mass for your draw length and draw weight whether it is 20 rpi or 100 rpi.

[vinemaplebows]

What Weylin said!

[blackhawk]

If you think its junk(which I agree )....then send it to me for proper disposal!!! 

Don't sweat it n make a bow

[Del the cat]

+1
You have Yew like that and you are worrying??
If you insist on a critique. The left bit looks near perfect.
The right bit has some odd stuff going on with the rings, top of picture (rings going towards eachother at weird angles). If you want tighter rings make the bow out of the bit where the entre is nearest the bark (lower or right edge of that piece of Yew).
E.G The number of rings is the same the whole way round the log. The centre is often offset, thus the sector where the centre is closest to the bark will have the tighter rings.
IMO the proficiency of the bowyer is more important than the ring count.
Del

[Don Case]

Oh, it's going to be bows alright. Never any doubt about that.  I don't climb a 25% grade for an hour for firewood. I have just been reading about ring count and density and wondered where it ranked.
Thanks all
Don

PS Sapwood thickness? Would I have to reduce that for a 40-50# bow?

[Bryce]

weylins most recent yew bow had a lower ring count BUT! its a fast shooter for sure.
what was the width on that bad boy weylin?

i made a longbow for 2 billets one had tight rings the other....not so much, bow shoots fantastic.

[dwardo]

Oh, it's going to be bows alright. Never any doubt about that.  I don't climb a 25% grade for an hour for firewood. I have just been reading about ring count and density and wondered where it ranked.
Thanks all
Don

PS Sapwood thickness? Would I have to reduce that for a 40-50# bow?

I know that feeling, sliding down a hill on my butt with a yew log in one hand whilst trying not to slide over my saw!

Yew looks great.

[Del the cat]

Oh, it's going to be bows alright. Never any doubt about that.  I don't climb a 25% grade for an hour for firewood. I have just been reading about ring count and density and wondered where it ranked.
Thanks all
Don

PS Sapwood thickness? Would I have to reduce that for a 40-50# bow?

IMO All the high altitude blah blah ring count etc is a load of Bovine excrement.
Yeah, fine rings and dark colour are prettier, but other than that it doesn't make much difference.
Regarding sapwood, you want about 3/16" to 1/4" sapwood. I don't like it to be more that 50% sapwood, but I don't like it too thin as I feel it represents the reliability and longevity of the bow. (Dont worry if it ends up being thicker one side of the bow than the other...!)
You can see what I mean in this blog entry (it also shows how I do temporary tip overlays which allows you to keep the tips wider during early tillering to allow adjustment of string line and twist prevention)
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/derbyshire-yew-nearly-there.html
Del

[Joec123able]

Oh, it's going to be bows alright. Never any doubt about that.  I don't climb a 25% grade for an hour for firewood. I have just been reading about ring count and density and wondered where it ranked.
Thanks all
Don

PS Sapwood thickness? Would I have to reduce that for a 40-50# bow?

IMO All the high altitude blah blah ring count etc is a load of Bovine excrement.
Yeah, fine rings and dark colour are prettier, but other than that it doesn't make much difference.
Regarding sapwood, you want about 3/16" to 1/4" sapwood. I don't like it to be more that 50% sapwood, but I don't like it too thin as I feel it represents the reliability and longevity of the bow. (Dont worry if it ends up being thicker one side of the bow than the other...!)
You can see what I mean in this blog entry (it also shows how I do temporary tip overlays which allows you to keep the tips wider during early tillering to allow adjustment of string line and twist prevention)
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/derbyshire-yew-nearly-there.html
Del

Lol he said it !! Buncha bs if ya ask me finer rings only mean a poorer growing condition which to me doesn't mean the wood is any denser

[Gordon]

Nothing wrong with those staves. Make some bows!

[Don Case]

If waiting for them to dry is part of makin', then I'm makin'!!

[jflute]

1st off, nice lookin wood either way the cookie crumbles. 2nd, my question is more so for the other seasoned guys, on a piece like this, about how many staves would you be able to salvage out of that?

[Badger]

  The ring count does have an effect of density from the yew I have worked with. It doesn't have than much affect on performance as long as you don't try to ask too much for the amount of wood you are working with. You might fing you have the same demensions for an 80# bow that you would have gotten 120# out of a finer ring count, but the performance should not be affected at all.

[WhitefeatherFout]

I'm no yew expert but I'll put in my two cents.  Del kinda touched onthe subject in his first post on the heart being closer to on side and having tighter rings.  All wood growing on a steep slope will pack on more wood on the downhill side to help keep itself upright.  This creates compression wood and tension wood.    The thicker ringed side once split will actually deflex and the opposite for the uphill side so I would try to get my best staves out of the uphill or tension side.  I imagine this is true in yew as well.  This would give you the finer ring count as well and lend itself to a heavier bow of same dimensions as Badger said.