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Author Topic: How violated on the back can Yew be?  (Read 2251 times)

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Offline Ed Brooks

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How violated on the back can Yew be?
« on: July 24, 2015, 01:04:03 pm »
I have a small yew limb I'm playing with, the sap wood was really thick (in spots) I have taken the rasp to it and now want to know if I can just burnish the back or should I sinew it. I do not have dims at this time but its pushing 5' in length shooting for about 40-45# so not too powerful. Thank You for looking. Ed
PS: no pics at this time. 
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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2015, 01:21:10 pm »
I've HEAVILY violated yew sapwood up to 65#.
Sand it baby butt smooth, burnish it well and it'll be fine.
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Offline Ed Brooks

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2015, 01:25:48 pm »
Thank you Wizardgoat. Ed
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It's in my blood...

Centralia WA,

Offline WillS

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2015, 01:40:13 pm »
I've got a 105# English yew bow I shoot on a regular basis with heartwood showing through the back  ;)
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2015, 02:00:14 pm »
All rules in bowmaking are set in stone and must never be ignored....until you can get away with ignoring them. 

It seems yew is one of those woods where many of the classic rules simply don't apply.  Not necessary to follow grain or growthrings, knots on the edges of limbs aren't necessarily fatal, backing is more cosmetic than functional! 

It's the hippy bow wood, your rules don't apply to me, man!
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

mikekeswick

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2015, 03:08:42 am »
You should still aim for perfection on that back ring.
I've seen 3 yew bows explode at grain violations. I'm not saying it can't be done but I would rather spend an hour or two chasing rings.
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Offline Ed Brooks

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2015, 02:54:57 pm »
Thank you all for the feed back.
JW  "It's the hippy bow wood, your rules don't apply to me, man!" thanks for the laugh.
 I did find out that it may not go by a lot of the rules but you still can't bend it when it's too cold.  :-[ >:( >:D.. After I broke this one(with no bad words)  O:) I went out and started on a new piece of Yew, we'll see if I can kill this one too. Thanks again Ed.
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Centralia WA,

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2015, 02:56:41 pm »
Ed Ive had a few with cleaner backs and a few with gnarly backs. All are just fine still, but none have really been shot enough to tell you it doesnt matter one bit. Although, I don't think it does matter one bit :)

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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Ed Brooks

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2015, 03:02:38 pm »
Thank you PD; I ended up killing that one, may make a shorty out of it tho. the new piece I have will have a nice clean back, is the plan anyway  :).. Ed
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Centralia WA,

Offline Del the cat

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2015, 03:11:48 pm »
IMO it's an aim not a necessity.
I've several Yew ELB where I've had to drop down a good few rings (about 8!  :o ) where the sap/heart boundary didn't follow a ring.
Mind the sap wood is plenty thick enough.
One of 'em is over 40 years old and has survived being overdrawn and refurbished with heat treatment to the belly... the back is still sound.
Here it is before the refurb', you can see the bug dip in the heart/sap... If I hadn't reduced the sapwood I'd have had no heart wood on the belly... it's always about compromise... bit like marriage (Yes Dear ;) )  ::)
Del
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2015, 03:34:49 pm »
I have a few that look just like that Del. It just seems to me if the bow was going to explode because of that, it would sooner than later. But, Im far from a yew expert.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

mikekeswick

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Re: How violated on the back can Yew be?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2015, 04:09:30 am »
They go when it's cold. Like I said i've seen a few go over the years and it's always been in winter.
Make of that what you will.
The mechanics of being a bow are the same, yew or not, with the same requirements.
However I do agree that yew isn't as prone to failure from a violated back ring as just about any other wood.
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