Author Topic: chasing growth rings on Yew?  (Read 6643 times)

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Offline wally

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chasing growth rings on Yew?
« on: June 05, 2014, 01:06:40 pm »
I've got a nice bit of English yew with a thick layer of sap wood. So I can make a decent thickness bow with good heartwood I've had to remove a fair bit of sapwood. I now have the back of the bow cut, with many, many ring violations. Please don't tell me what I should've done :-[
I'm where I am now. How important is the one growth ring rule on yew? Is it now just a matter of patience and time to find one ring? Do you start from one end and chase? Any tips advice on how to do it would be great
and hey! Let's be careful out there

Offline Badger

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2014, 01:21:22 pm »
  The way I chase yew after I have ground it down is to look for a high island. I gently use a rasp and a scraper to remove the island and continue from that point spreading out. If you feather out the violations on yew it has an excellent chance of staying together, I have done them both ways but prefer to chase a ring.

Offline wizardgoat

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2014, 01:31:34 pm »
What draw weight are you going for? Yew can handle some ring violation, but I wouldn't try it on a bow over 60#. Run a search on this topic, it's been covered many times

Offline wizardgoat

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2014, 01:33:20 pm »
You can either get 1 ring in the sapwood, or go for even thickness sapwood. You can't have both

Offline WillS

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 01:55:07 pm »
As Wizard said, it's all down to the draw weight you're after.  If you want something lower than about 80# you're pretty much good to go.  60# for sure, but with good tillering and the violations feathered (i.e. not all in small areas) you could make 80# without having to chase a ring.  A single ring just looks nicer ;)

Offline Bryce

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2014, 03:01:34 pm »
I've never chased a sapwood ring. Never will. No need.
Violated backs on yew can be made in any weight.
Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline dwardo

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 05:29:07 pm »
Just make it smooth and crack on, poor choice of words but you get the idea.

Offline Badger

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 05:45:00 pm »
  A couple of year ago at twin oaks I spliced some yew billets, one side had a nasty twist, i just ground it flat on the belt sander and he backed with raw hide, lasted him a couple of years.

Offline wally

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2014, 07:23:07 pm »
Thanks all. I'm only after about 50lb so I should be o/k, but I will try for one growth ring 'cos it looks better. I have sinew backed bows before but with the wet weather here it really needs protecting with polyurethane varnish which I don't like to put on my bows-just oil and wax-just my preference so I don't want to back this bow
and hey! Let's be careful out there

Offline sieddy

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2014, 04:55:41 am »
 I'm in exactly the same boat. I got bored of trying to figure out what to do with the thick Sapwood on nice little yew stave and just hacked most of it off yesterday! :0 Keep us posted cos I'll be interested to hear how you get on. Cheers!
"No man ever broke his bow but another man found a use for the string" Irish proverb

Offline sieddy

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2014, 05:02:35 am »
I just read that we've broken one of the bowyers 10 commandments- it did feel like a bit of a sin cutting through that back! :0
"No man ever broke his bow but another man found a use for the string" Irish proverb

Offline Del the cat

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2014, 12:38:12 pm »
I've posted this umpteen times... chasing a ring on Yew is an aim, not a commandment. Sometimes you have to compromise.
I had a choice... no heartwood left on the belly or drop down 7 or 8 rings on the back.
This bow is over 40 years old and still shooting, but I'm a bit worried that I violated some rings ;)
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline wally

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2014, 01:50:02 pm »
Thanks Del,
I checked on previous posts but must've missed yours. I should've known the answer but your reassurance is great. A good bloke and good bowmaker is Del
and hey! Let's be careful out there

Offline Del the cat

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2014, 04:47:42 pm »
I've found the other recent thread where I expound my views at greater length.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,46748.0.html
Del
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mikekeswick

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Re: chasing growth rings on Yew?
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2014, 02:53:35 am »
Personally I'd chase a ring - why not if there are no 'problems' with the stave.
Unbroken fibers on the back are what we are after when making a bow. Think how gutted you'd be if it popped a splinter just when you got to full draw!