Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: radius on August 22, 2009, 06:41:02 pm

Title: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 22, 2009, 06:41:02 pm

Alright this one has been slow to go, since i roughed it out some weeks ago.  I'm building it simultaneously with one for my long-armed giant son.  This one is short, only 57" or so, so the bending portions of the limbs are only 16", the handle 4" with a simple hump-style handle  a la Dennis La Varenne.  The levers are 11" or so.    I'm tillering it at 40# right now, but will probly let it ride to 45# once i near the draw length, which i intend to keep down to 26".  It's at 19" right now, and sitting by with some superglue in the cracks!

 Come to think of it...so is the other one!

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture001.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture002.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture006.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture023.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture035.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture037.jpg)

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 22, 2009, 06:43:09 pm

SAPWOOD

You can see i stepped down the sapwood twice:  once at the fades and once again where the lever-tip begins...

Three reasons:

1.  Looks cool.

2.  Keep the heartwood at the tips.

3.  Test the durability of this wood.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Cromm on August 22, 2009, 07:00:48 pm

Nice. I like alot. Keep the photos coming!!!

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Dano on August 22, 2009, 07:06:46 pm

She looks great Scott, I got my fingers crossed for ya.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 23, 2009, 12:17:36 am

ok, no breakie...

here is 40# @ 21" from belly...

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture042.jpg)

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: waterlogged on August 23, 2009, 03:34:42 am

Poking good, but I'd get that left limb working a bit more. I've got some yew laying around that wold be perfect for something like this. It's really an amazing wood, isn't it?

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Chad Bower on August 23, 2009, 03:47:05 am

Thats very nice ! Thats my dream bow ...right there !

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 24, 2009, 03:29:10 pm

did more work, chasing the tiller down...

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture045.jpg)

i dunno you guys, i am starting to see why the yew longbows are traditionally narrow and thick, rather than wide and thin...the thin limbs take more set.  Even after 16 hours unstrung, it shows uber string follow.  I might heat temper it, but it has a bunch of knots in it...the longbow i'm making in the other thread shows very little set, and is the traditional shape for longbows, "Narrow and deep of core"...

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Gordon on August 24, 2009, 03:51:10 pm

Scott, I believe the reason you are seeing excessive set is because most of the bending is distributed over a very short length of limb. Yew is great bow wood for sure, but your design is asking a lot.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 24, 2009, 03:55:24 pm

yeah, Gordon, i think you are right

I have taken it as far as i intend to...it's 24" from the belly side of the handle...that's enough...just gonna clean up the limbs and call it good.  I think the bending section is only 16" long each limb...so as you say, i'm demanding alot from the wood.  But i want to see what it will do!  I always push the limits, so when a wood has this amazing reputation, i like to prove it to myself.

the longbow i'm making has less set, but it is too damn long for me!  i can hardly string it!

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 24, 2009, 03:56:31 pm

i love yew, and i love holmegaards, but maybe they are not the best combo...

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Gordon on August 24, 2009, 04:06:33 pm

There's no reason to exclude yew. I think you need to make the bow longer and let the outer limbs flex just a bit.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 24, 2009, 04:14:40 pm

so Gordon, what do you suggest for yew shortbows?  sinew?  wide limbs?

I have a pile of this stuff, so i am damn well gonna rasp it, but i wanna make champion bows, and i think i need some advice!

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Gordon on August 24, 2009, 04:49:54 pm

Yew and sinew are perfect companions when making short bows.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 25, 2009, 06:10:25 pm

okay, got it tillered in to where i stop. 

here it is pulling 50# at ~26"...It is 57" total, and maybe 5/16 thick through the majority of the bending portion of the limb


(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture047.jpg)



The tips need overlays, though.  I'm getting a little tired of doing overlays actually, but this one has a few cracks which i superglued together...i don't wanna trust it, though, so out comes the rosewood...


(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/yh3/Picture049.jpg)

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: Parnell on August 25, 2009, 06:51:37 pm

So what do you think the ideal Holmegaard wood would be?

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on August 25, 2009, 06:55:27 pm

can't say yet, bro, haven't tried enough kinds.  Maybe an elm with 2" wide limbs?

The rune-inlaid holmie i made last month has limbs over 1.5" wide, and very thick, around 1/2" anyway, if not more, but it is still feather light.  It was 62" long i think.  This one is 5" shorter, the limbs are 1.5" wide max, and very thin, hardly more than 1/4".   Both have taken a fair amount of set.  Maybe yew will still be the prizewinner, if sinew backed...Even with the string follow, these holmies shoot fast...with no string follow....

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: arc on December 26, 2009, 06:11:01 am

well guys i sent this bow to england along with the yew recurve for my bride's dad and a white oak holmegaard for her/my brother in law...sent it along for no real reason.  Then, it turned out that one of Helen's friends is a jeweler and he has agreed to make us each wedding bands in exchange for it.

Two wedding rings for one bow.  Not a bad trade.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: mox1968 on December 26, 2009, 09:52:38 am

nice job radius looks like a winner.

Title: Re: Yew holmegaard, #3
Post by: radius on February 04, 2010, 05:42:17 pm

thanks Mox...

and you should see the rings!