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Author Topic: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long  (Read 33876 times)

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Offline Gaur

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2015, 11:47:28 am »
Looking good.  Thanks for taking the time to do this as these are always enjoyable to see how others tackle the process
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Offline Springbuck

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2015, 01:10:41 pm »
Quote from: Weylin on February 17, 2015, 10:47:04 am
It doesn't like drawknives, scrapers, rasps, etc. but the microplane does the job on it.

Sorry to change the subject, but as an aside, how/why does it not like rasps and scrapers?  I have met a lot of woods that just LOVE to clog planes, spokeshaves, sureforms, etc. but if you can't even rasp it, what hope is there?  (Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi!)....

  That sounds like a good reason to heat temper it all on it's own, despite what I have heard about it liking to return to shape. It works on stringy red elm and young white mulberry branches by making the wood a buit harder and crisper.
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Offline Weylin

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #32 on: February 18, 2015, 09:35:39 pm »
Vine maple is super stringy. scrapers just don't take off nice curls of wood like yew or osage. It clogs up rasps in seconds. The microplane can get clogged too if you're not clearing it regularly but it's the best tool I've used. It's easier to clear of clogs than a rasp is, as well. That's been my experience, anyway.
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Offline Weylin

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #33 on: February 18, 2015, 09:51:46 pm »
Now it's time to bust out the high-tech, super sensitive measuring tool! Your hands can tell you a great deal about tiller. They can detect very slight deviations in thickness. I run my fingers up and down the stave feeling for a smooth, steady taper from the fade to the tip. It's taken many bows for me to develop confidence in what my fingers are telling me. I still have a long way to go until I have magic fingers like John Strunk or Gordon but I can still get the tiller off to a good start this way. If I feel a thick spot I take off some scrapes till it feels right. If I feel a skinny spot I mark it and leave it alone. I do this until I can feel the taper that I want.



I decided at this point to come back to the back of the bow and give it a little more attention. There are still some stubborn areas of cambium in little valleys so I use my goosneck scraper to coax them out. I also give the knot areas some love, getting the last bits of bark and cambium off.



It's looking much more presentable now. Top limb and bottom limb, respectively











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Offline Aaron H

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #34 on: February 19, 2015, 08:09:20 am »
That cleaned up very nicely
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Offline alwayslookin

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #35 on: February 19, 2015, 09:56:10 am »
Looking good. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #36 on: February 19, 2015, 10:47:37 am »
Glad to see you come to your "senses" and bust out the finger calipers. The picture of the steel calipers on that beautiful yew was disgusting  ;)
Great buildalong Weylin. I will be tuning in.
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Offline simson

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #37 on: February 19, 2015, 03:02:26 pm »
Thanks for sharing, Weylin. I will be watching!
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Offline Will H

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #38 on: February 19, 2015, 08:02:50 pm »
Great lookin piece of wood! Cant wait to see what you make of it :)
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Offline Arrowind

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #39 on: February 19, 2015, 08:29:47 pm »
Very cool dude.  Watching with interest!

Heh one of these days I might even try working a stave.. :o

If/when I do  I'm coming back to this thread.
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Offline mox1968

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #40 on: February 22, 2015, 03:43:39 pm »
Great looking stave !!
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Offline rockrush69

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #41 on: February 22, 2015, 04:57:05 pm »
Quote from: Markus on February 15, 2015, 04:59:09 pm
Yew is always interesting to work, I have made many of them in the last 30 years. One thing I don't get is that you say you are careful not to cut into the first layer of the sap wood. But judging from the pics you have  done so? Markus. :)

I agree.  Usually i take it to pink only with zero white wood. Then a cabnet scraper and i go side to side not up and down thats my way to not violate growth rings . I have a video on the jubject on my youtube page. Anyways its knot that important with yew anyways ... but it makes me feel better for SURE
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Offline Weylin

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #42 on: March 03, 2015, 12:23:04 am »
Now I want to narrow the tips a bit. I don't like to wait too long to do this because I don't like surprises later when I change the dimensions too much. I'm also getting ready to put on the tip overlays. I go from the original 1/2" down to around 3/8". Nothing drastic but not quite so clunky.





Here it is bending a bit on the floor. Obviously I can't tell much about the tiller yet from the bend but I know I'm in the ball park based on the feel of the taper. I want to get it up on the tree with a long string but before I do that I want to put on the overlays. I used to cut in temporary self nocks and do most of my tillering with those and do the overlays later. Keenan basically told me to man up and have some confidence in the bow and not waste time doing string grooves twice. Made sense to me. Since then I've done my tip overlays early and stop doing the temporary nocks. I haven't regretted it yet.



I take a piece of horn from my box. Not sure but I think this is buffalo horn. I saw it down to the length I want.



Then I saw it in half, lengthwise.



Now I've got two pieces. I'm only going to use one of these for this bow. I'll save the other peice for another bow. Waste not want not.  ::)



I take one of those pieces and saw diagonally across lengthwise to create two pre-tapered overlays.



I use the "fine" side of my ferriers rasp to smooth down and flatten the bottom side of the horn overlay. I clamp the file and rub the horn back and forth. Watch your finger tips!  >:D



Then I clamp the piece in the vice and use a rasp to taper one end down to a point both in width and in height. It's so much easier and safer to taper the overlay before it's glued down.



Here they are, both ready to glue on the bow.

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Offline IdahoMatt

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #43 on: March 03, 2015, 09:31:30 am »
Looking good man.  Love to see all this done with hand tools.  Keep em coming
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Offline Weylin

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Re: Yew Hunting Bow Build-a-long
« Reply #44 on: March 08, 2015, 01:08:41 am »
I put the overlay on the tip of the bow and draw a line at the point. Most of my overlays start at about 1 1/2 - 2". These are more like 1 1/2"



I use a ruler to draw a line on each side of the tip from the line across the back down to a point at the tip of the bow. It's a bit arbitrary for me how deep I make it. I judge based on the thickness of the overlay and the thickness of the tip as to what would look good and be functional. On this bow it's probably about 3/8".



I use the ferrier's rasp to reduce it down to the line. This may seem like an overly aggressive tool  choice but I've found that the size and width of the tool allows me to create a flatter and more consistent surface for gluing the overlay onto. Once I get it down to the line I clean it up with a finer file.



This is what it looks like when it's ready to glue.



I use a high quality gel superglue to put on my tip overlays. Don't skimp on the superglue I had a few tip overlay failures with a lower quality glue and I learned my lesson.



Then I clamp it down for a bit to allow the glue to set.



I take a rasp to the overlay, working it down to shape and use a file to blend the overlay in with the back. I'm careful not to be aggressive at the transition so as not to damage the back. You can't avoid working it down a bit though. I'm not trying to refine the tips to their final dimensions yet. I just want them to be serviceable at this point.



Next I use a chainsaw file to cut in the string groove. I go straight over the back of the overlay and then angle in towards the handle on the sides.




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