Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive- FAIL

[crooketarrow]

  SWEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

 I'VE ONLY BUIT 3 YEW BOWS IN MY LIFE. YEW WOOD ALWAYS SEAMED SPECIAL TO ME.

  WAY COOL DEL

[osage outlaw]

Great job on that bow Del. 

[Del the cat]

Great job on that bow Del.

Cheers... I'm trying to pluck up courage to have a go with that Osage from the monster tree. I keep lookin' at the stave and it keeps lookin' back at me!
Del

[dragonman]

cool bow, good tiller...nice work

[Parnell]

Just saw this, Del.  What an interesting bow!  Well done, buddy.

[dantolin]

Nice bow, and not in a ring on the back!! cool!!!

[okie64]

That yew heartwood is beautiful! Nice job.

[Del the cat]

The guy I made the bow for brought it back with a tiny crack on the back coming from a pin knot, I patched it a couple of days ago and strung it this morning...
The patch was fine but I heard the dreaded TIC...
Another similar but much longer crack has opened up from an entirely different pin, miracle it didn't explode.
I think it shows why we leave the sapwood on or back Yew heartwood.
I'll keep the bow for myself now, maybe patch it and rawhide back it.
I've been rasping out the crack to see how deep it goes, I've gone down 4mm and it's still visible, gone down some more... second pic shows how far I had to go to take out all the crack!
Del
Reminds us that pride comes before a fall with bow making

[johnfolchetti]

That stinks. Look forward to seeing the patch.

[joachimM]

I think it shows why we leave the sapwood on or back Yew heartwood.

A singularity is hardly the same as a general rule.
 There's been more than one heartwood yew back that stood its ground. As far as tension properties are concerned: these depend on the amount of cellulose fibers on the back. This doesn't change during the change from sapwood to heartwood. What changes is the density of the wood, as you get some extra deposits in wood vessels, which confer better compression properties, and maybe also better cast (a bit less mass on the back if it's sapwood).

I need more evidence than this to convince myself that yew heartwood makes for a crappy back.

Joachim

[half eye]

I'm lucky enough to have one of your Yew bows Mr. Cat....it's a testament to your tillering skills and detail attention sir. Tough wood not with standing my money is on your own bad self, sir. If it can be made to work properly....you are the man.
rich

[Bob W.]

Ouch Del, if it can be patched your the guy that can do It!

[Del the cat]

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys... this bow was always a bit experimental, a good learning exercise.
Del

[Redhand]

Good work on that bow.  I truly need a lesson on your patchng job.

[bjrogg]

Del I'm looking at picture and wondering if that crack didn't come from pin knot on side of bow it seems to be headed in that direction. I'm not there and some times picture can be deceiving.