Yew Stave Just Arrived...

[markc324]

purchased a premium yew stave from Dave Robertson from Medicine Bow Woods few days ago, and it took only 3 days to California!

it is about the only source for me to purchase yew staves. I am not an experience bowyer. I have only made 2 bows. The first one shoots, but I didn't like the tiller; second one was the Maple backed Jatoba, which turned out quite successful! and I have three more laminates waiting to be roughed out and turn into bows. So I still have a bit of time and practice before i get to the "cognac of all wood" and try to make a lower weight (80#-100#) warbow out of, so I thought right now would be a good time to ask question. Please have a look at the attached images.

the seller, Dave, did not specify how long the stave has been seasoned. But from what he sells on eBay, it all says "dried to 12%"; however, i did not purchase this stave on his eBay listing. I wonder if he did not list this stave because it's not seasoned enough to be listed? The stave is not entirely straight; i'll be sure to post a thread asking for advise on heat or steam bending the wood later on. I can see couple of small pin knots that are probably not even deep enough and a branch, which is on the side and will not be in the bow, but not sure if the limb shadow will not be as well, though.

I removed the bark (which scrapes/peel right off), and then went through the fiberous cambium and revealed a small portion of sapwood, just to be familiarize with the real thing (been watching yew bow videos on Del's youtube channel, but had never seen one in front of me...). Gave it a quick sand on the side, and it seems like the sap wood is still green, or is this normal?

Please share your comments about this yew stave. feel free to request detail close up shots if you wish. thanks you for helping me acquiring more knowledge!

86x3x2 with 1/4 inch sapwood @40 rings per inch.

[FilipT]

Could you put link that that vendor from which you purchased?

[FilipT]

Tnx, but I am not sure if he sends to Croatia.

[Del the cat]

Don't mess about with heat/steam bending... that stave is plenty straight enough to lay out a bow.
Get a length of string and a pencil ... you can't do any harm with a pencil  
Del

[FilipT]

I never bought from ebay so I have this question, is price listed in shipping a price of the stave + shipping price, or shipping itself? Here is mine print screen:

[markc324]

Don't mess about with heat/steam bending... that stave is plenty straight enough to lay out a bow.

Hi Del, I could be a bit stubborn, but I really want a clean yew bow that is straight when finished and in unbraced state. I understand wood has natural curves and that gives the bow it's character; however, what i am not certain is will the combination of reflex and deflex be a problem when tillering? that's why i imagined having a "corrected" stave to work with will make it more reassuring as the bend of relaxed and deflexed area will show different even when under the same amount of stress, which could potentially mislead my judgement, or am i just paranoid?

or is it common that when tillering, the amount of stress will be efficient to take out the reflex and make the stave straight(er)?
for heat/steam bending correction, I was referring to the reflex & deflex when view from the side, not the left & right when looking down the back from on end.

anyways, do you have any comments on the greenish sapwood? does a properly seasoned yew appear like this?

by the way, i am taking good notes following your 150# warbow build!

[markc324]

I never bought from ebay so I have this question, is price listed in shipping a price of the stave + shipping price, or shipping itself? Here is mine print screen:

whoa...the number appears after Shipping is the shipping fee that is in addition to the item. that is crazy! but now we know for certain he does ship to Croatia, but it cost $568.54 altogether!

interestingly, you sure will receive the same stave cross-continent faster than it takes to fly over two states to me though, so it appears! 

[FilipT]

I know, shipping price for Croatia is sometimes disgusting, especially when I sometimes see that its cheaper to to send hickory stave to a war thorn country like Afghanistan, then to Croatia, which is 3000 miles nearer and stable country. Ridiculous and pathetic.

[Del the cat]

It's pretty similar to what I just made that 150# warbow from.
My advice hasn't changed, but if you did watn to heat bend it, you'd want to get it roughed out first and beginning to flex anyway.
Del

[Ian.]

Can you measure the deflex? That will stop it from being a performer if you don't solve that.

[markc324]

Can you measure the deflex? That will stop it from being a performer if you don't solve that.

I'll get back to you on this, Ian. I'll measure the deflex once the bow is roughed out on bend saw, which i don't have access to until next weekend..

[markc324]

well, first and foremost.................................how do you get the bark off the stave?....

[WillS]

Drawknife.  You could easily take the sapwood down a good few mm yet, so personally I'd get going with a drawknife being reasonably careful, but not worrying if you take some rings with you.  You don't need to chase rings with yew anyway. 

I've had quite a few staves from Dave, and it's basically Russian roulette.  Seasoning can be ignored, because it's always wet no matter what he says in my experience.  Get a moisture meter and wait until its 12%.  I think once you get to know him, and once you know exactly what you're after and can describe it to him carefully he can provide very good staves, but to Joe Public it's a shot in the dark.

[Ian.]

Yeah drawknife. In my video I use 3 of different sizes from small ones for correction work to massive ones which take a lot of wood off quickly.

[Del the cat]

Just to offer an alternative viewpoint.
1. If the sapwood is 1/4" it will not need reducing, or maybe just a tad at the tips. Bear in mind a warbow is typically 1/2" diameter where the nock meets the limb, that would be 50% sapwood 50% heartwood.
2. The best way to avoid damaging the sapwood is to leave the bark on. I will start to crack off as the the bow is beginning to flex during tillering. The cracks will run across the back and if they are effectively a strain indicator which is a handy way of checking if the tiller is good. They will appear every 3" or so spaced equally if the bow is bending easilly. The sections of bark will fall off or can be easily picked off.
3. If you really want to remove it, just take off the top layer leaving a pinkish dusty layer which will take a pencil mark for marking out.
Del