Problem? Furrow in yew sapwood, but probably not a violation.

[PatM]

Pope and Young had many breakages, it wasn't just for insurance. Consider also location Del.  Aren't you in a place tailor made for Yew to show its strengths?
 What you can get away with in one location can be disastrous in another.

[Bryce]

I've seen those bows. And there pretty much de-crowned. And the amount of use they used those bows too far more exceeds my own and anyone else I know. And I would back any 75#-100#hunting bow no matter what the wood.

But I'm with del on this one,

[George Tsoukalas]

Shamus, it has been a long time. It is good to see you back and posting.
Jawge

[shamus]

aw, thanks, George. 

[Hamish]

Wow that is a lovely stave. 45-50 rpi is pretty good these days. I think 60 rpi  is the most I have personally come across, but then again you sometimes hear of ones around 100 rpi.
I can't help feeling slightly jealous, even though I have a fair stack of lovely yew, that I haven't touched for years.
          Hamish.

[shamus]

Wow that is a lovely stave. 45-50 rpi is pretty good these days. I think 60 rpi  is the most I have personally come across, but then again you sometimes hear of ones around 100 rpi.
I can't help feeling slightly jealous, even though I have a fair stack of lovely yew, that I haven't touched for years.
          Hamish.

whoops. I deleted my post.

here are the pics again.

[Hamish]

While I'm at it, how strong is the bow you are wanting to make?
I would call that furrow a flaw(ever so small though), rather than a violation.  You could probably get by  without doing anything else to it. Even though the sapwood is unbroken, that localised furrow might cause a hinge on the belly, hard to know until you try it.
Personally I would rather be safe than sorry, and leave a small swelling in the sapwood, out at the edge, or take the entire sapwood down to an even level as Del does at times. Virtually all the old yew bows had their sapwood shaved and levelled off, decrowned into a flat back.

[shamus]

I was shooting for 40#@30".

[WillS]

That stave should be pushed to something wonderful in the 150lb range.  You don't see pacific Yew with that gentle recurve and ring count too often!  Dream big, make a masterpiece!

[Bryce]

That stave should be pushed to something wonderful in the 150lb range.  You don't see pacific Yew with that gentle recurve and ring count too often!  Dream big, make a masterpiece!

Hmm....you don't? Bc I do.


Nice piece of wood! Should make just about anything you want:D

[WillS]

Nope, that's the sort of stave warbow makers over here would pay about $500 for, if not more. 

You can make 40# bows out of anything, but a piece of wood like that needs something amazing done with it!

I'm kinda joking really, any bow is a good bow.  I just know what I'd use it for

[shamus]

Really? I didn't think it was warbow quality.  It's been seasoning indoors for the past 15 years so I decided make something out of it. But  I wouldn't want to waste it.  Hmmmm.

[WillS]

Not warbow quality?!?!  You should see the stuff I use!  5 rings per inch, heartwood showing through the back, knots all over the place being pushed to 120lb or 130lb...

I saw an absolutely stunning 155lb Pacific yew bow made by Joe Gibbs recently, with the thinnest sapwood I've ever seen.  It was so thin that with a slightly rounded back you could see the heartwood along the sides when you looked square at it, just like the Mary Rose bows.  Even that had less rings per inch.

Don't let me persuade you away from your original plan though.  I'm biased, but it would make a stunning bow no matter the poundage.

[WillS]

I made a warbow out of this a while ago.  If your stave isn't "warbow quality" I don't know what is



There is some sapwood on there somewhere, to the left

[E. Jensen]

In my mind (granted, a beginner's mind) it should not be a problem.