Boiling yew tips **EDIT** Tiller advise requested

[Oakenshield]

Hey guys, tomorrow ill be re-curving some tips on a yew bow I've been working on, and I just had a quick question. when you boil the tips does it effect the set of the bow? What about stain, will it stain the wood? My main concern is adding more set by introducing moisture back into the wood. If you've ever made a bow from green wood you know what I'm talking about, the set is tremendous.

Thank abunch, Oak

**EDIT**

update on this bow guys, I'm having a little trouble solving this problem. scraped quite a bit and its not fixing my problem areas. I marked where i think the problem areas are and some other info on the picture. I would really appreciate some input guys. Don't mind the mess please, I'm still moving in.

Thank you, Oak



 

[Pat B]

Are you redesigning an already made bow?

[Oakenshield]

Hey pat, thanks for the response. No, this is a bow i just finished floor tillering.

Thanks, Oak

[wizardgoat]

We need a little more info! Is this yew stave seasoned?
As pat asked, an existing bow or a new build?
I recurve my yew bows when they are fully braced and pulling about 20"
I boil or steam, both work. I hit it with a heat gun after. I got nothing to prove it, but I feel it helps set it in, and also dry it out quicker. I let them sit a couple days too.
Steaming or boiling your tips won't give your bow set, but many other things will, mainly using unseasoned yew.
And I find it does stain the sapwood a bit, but most comes out with some sanding

[lebhuntfish]

We need a little more info! Is this yew stave seasoned?
As pat asked, an existing bow or a new build?
I recurve my yew bows when they are fully braced and pulling about 20"
I boil or steam, both work. I hit it with a heat gun after. I got nothing to prove it, but I feel it helps set it in, and also dry it out quicker. I let them sit a couple days too.
Steaming or boiling your tips won't give your bow set, but many other things will, mainly using unseasoned yew.
And I find it does stain the sapwood a bit, but most comes out with some sanding

I'll keep my eyes on this one. I just started working on the yew stave I got from you Ryan. Patrick

[Oakenshield]

Hey wiz thanks for you're reply, that was the answer I was looking for. Yes, as far as I know the wood was seasoned for a year. I just not got the tips bending decently on the floor,  and it hasn't  taken any set yet. So from what you're saying, I think I'm going to tiller it a bit first before I induce recurves now, thanks for that tidbit. Here's a pic of it now, though not much to look at yet.

[lebhuntfish]

Where's the pic bud?  Patrick

[Oakenshield]

Sorry i'm new i edited the post. The bow has some natural reflex in it already which i hope will benefit me. And i saw you guys talking about leaving the bark on but i was a bit worried of it snapping off and the loss of tension causing me to draw the bow too hard when tillering. So i scraped it with a cabinet scraper down to the first growth ring and left some of cambium (sp?) layer on. Maybe ill sand that off later?

Oak

[Del the cat]

+1 on what Wizard Goat said.
I've never actually boiled, but with steaming you get pink water dripping out, but the wood cleans up fine.
The wood can always move in ways you didn't quite want and recurves can pull out... I agree that heat treating can help set the bend in place.
Del

[Oakenshield]

Hey guys so i'm holding off on the tips until i get this thing more tillered in. My question is about draw weight. I'm in the process of tillering the bow and i feel it is too strong for me so far, cause i can't pull it back to 27" with the loose string on haha, but i think the tiller is even. My plan was to even them out first then bring down the weight. In the pictures the left (top) limb is 1" longer than the right (bottom) limb. I guess i'm just making sure i'm on the right track, let me know what you guys think, any advise is appreciated!

Thanks, Devin

[wizardgoat]

That bow looks ready to be low braced, if not fully braced. Consider building a pulley type tree, much better for exercising and allows you to take quick pics without over stressing the wood.                   If If you feel your very close with the tiller and have a good thickness taper going on, take long scrapes down each limb and keep monitoring your tiller.

[bubby]

X2 on bracing that one

[Oakenshield]

Ok thanks wiz and bub! I plan on making a pulley rig for my next build for sure. Usually I take a quick pic with my phone and take it off the tree as soon as possible so I don't stress it too much. I'll be too busy to get any work done on it this weekend but I'll get to it early next week I hope. I'll update when I recurve the tips, I think lebhintfish had the same questions.

Thanks again, Oak

[Oakenshield]

I added a picture and question to the OP...thank you

[lebhuntfish]

Don't fight it any more. Take that bow to FULL BRACE! It will change your tiller. String it up to full brace and take a picture of it with a clean backdrop. Then post that pic. I'm positive it will look different. Patrick