What to do with this yew?

[upstatenybowyer]

Hello friends,

So I've got this yew log: slightly reflexed with the reflexed side pretty clean and the deflexed side with one significant knot. It's about 45" up to the knot and a little over 60" total length. What I'd like to do is make a sinew-backed reflexed recurve that bends through the handle, but I'm open to other suggestions. Here are my questions:

Does this even look like a quality enough piece of yew to work with?
Given the knot on what would be the belly side (not knowing how deep it goes) should I cut it short at 45, or stay with 60?
If 45, any width suggestions?

Thanks for any and all input you've got!

[DC]

Unless you are trying for a 150# warbow I would think that if you put the knot on the belly it will disappear in shaping and tillering.

[upstatenybowyer]

  That's what I figured. Cheers

[DC]

That looks like a nice stave

[penderbender]

That looks like a beauty of a stave. Knot will definatly disappear on the belly. Where did you get a fresh piece of yew in NY state? Haha cheers- Brendan

[upstatenybowyer]

Buddy of mine works grounds at an arboretum here in Rochester. There's an entire 20 acre section called "Yew hill." The place is crawling with nothing but 100+ year old T. baccata. The first time I saw it I almost blacked out. 

Oh yeah, almost forgot, I thought about removing the sapwood since I'm planning on backing w/ sinew. However, there's not much to start with so, maybe leave it? I heard that sapwood can actually separate from heartwood if sinew-backed.

[penderbender]

That's awesome! I thought is was t. baccata. I have no sinew experience so don't know. Cheers- Brendan

[wizardgoat]

I've never heard of sapwood separating from heartwood with sinew. I've only made 5 or 6 sinew yew bows, I prefer all heartwood, but have left the sapwood on a couple and they were just fine. If that wood is as wet as it appears I wouldn't even be thinking about a bow yet. Seal the ends and forget about it for at least 6 months. I'd then saw it or hatchet it into a wide fat stave and leave it for another 4-6 months. Yew will make you pay if you are impatient with it.
Have you make any sinew backed reflexed bows before?

[DC]

I'd look for a worse piece if I wanted to back it. Save this for a nice self bow.

[penderbender]

I'd look for a worse piece if I wanted to back it. Save this for a nice self bow.

That's what I was thinking.

[upstatenybowyer]

Thanks for the replies. It's definitely fresh. Think I might take Wizardgoat's suggestion and wait it out. I've worked with a great variety of wood, but never yew.

I made a sinew backed reflex from osage, and just finished one with ERC. The osage kept it's reflex nicely, but the ERC being mostly sapwood (2 layers of sinew) lost it's reflex after about 50 shots and currently has 1/4" of string follow. Still shoots wicked fast though and incredibly light. If anyone's interested in some pics I'd be happy to post them. Even with the set it's still one of my favorites.

[wizardgoat]

We always like pics!
Put that stave somewhere safe and checkback in when it's good and dry

[upstatenybowyer]

Here's that erc

[penderbender]

That looks like a nice bow. Great job. I'm sure you can do that yew justice when the time comes!

[upstatenybowyer]

Thanks Brendan. First finished bow I ever posted so I'm encouraged.