Boo yew dimensions

[Kidder]

I was recently able to score some 1 inch thick pacific yew boards and would like to make a boo yew. They will need to be run through a planet so will be a little less than 1 inch by the time they are ready for glue up. I’ve made boo backed Osage and ERC so have some experience with boo backed bows but I’m wondering on some suggested dimensions for using yew. Any thoughts on length, width, and thickness, as well as overall design considerations? Thanks!

[Hamish]

 The sky is the limit. You can go short and wide, or long and narrow, or something in between. How long are the boards, and what type of bow would you like to make, hunting, target? Once you decide, then you can hone in on the design, dimensions.

[Kidder]

Good point. The boards are 63-70. I draw 25 and would want a 50-65 lb bow. I have never made an English longbow, or any bend through the handle bow for that matter. All my bows have been flatbow a with stiff handles and 2-3 inch fades.

[Hamish]

Okay, at 63" you have plenty of length for a flatbow, of your regular design for a 25"draw. The 70" length could easily be made into English longbow(either stiff handled or bend through the handle". I have made excellent stiff handle longbows from yew(unbacked) 65" btwn nocks drawing 26", 1" wide 55-60lbs fine ringed yew. Go 1&1/8" wide if you want a 65lbr

The 70" length would allow you to make a 28-29" draw medieval style bow, that you could draw to the ear, if you so choose to.

[Kidder]

Thanks for the info Hamish. So for a boo backed yew, say 63-65 inches TTT, 1 and 1/8th wide, what would be a recommended thickness and taper for the yew at glue up? Also how much Perry reflex is recommended for this sort of bow? I usually go for 2.5-3 inches for Osage-boo which tends to leave me from even to 1.5 inches reflex by the time I’m done…

[Hamish]

2 to 2.5 reflex should be plenty.

Depending on your handle configuration, whether you glue a strip on for thickness dips and fades, I would taper from full thickness down to 5/8" at the tips for glue up. That should give you plenty of meat for a 60-65lbr.