Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: radius on October 02, 2009, 02:54:25 pm

Title: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on October 02, 2009, 02:54:25 pm: roped in, now.

Made a bow for Helen's brother in law, now her dad wants one. Some kind of reverse dowry, he says. And she says it can't be an ornamental one, either! He wants to shoot. Englishman. So i pick through the pile and found this one, we'll see what i can do with it. The ends were pretty clear so i recurved it, but the tip you see in this picture here actually has a knot running through it diagonally...and it STILL BENT! This yew is awesome. I've got a truckload of seasoned yew logs coming FOR FREE in about 3 weeks. I am really stoked about that. In the meantime, let's see if i can't impress my father in law to be.

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture001.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture006.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture010.jpg)

As you can see, a branch was growing right out of the side of this one, so that became the handle area...we will see.
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: Josh on October 02, 2009, 03:38:51 pm: Good luck on your bow for your father-in-law!!! The one I made for my father is a pretty fast, fully functional bow it just isn't gonna see as much action in it's life as your father-in-laws. I hope it works out well for you kinda weird about the handle area. Keep us updated bro!!! -josh :)
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: Del the cat on October 03, 2009, 11:33:13 am: father in Law... no problem. It's the Mother in Law you've got to impress :o ;)
Del
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 03, 2009, 02:00:10 pm: Pretty challenging piece. :) Jawge
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: radius on October 03, 2009, 02:11:25 pm: Quote from: George Tsoukalas on October 03, 2009, 02:00:10 pm
Pretty challenging piece. :) Jawge

i like the challenge...yew challenges you...but it brings a lot to the table...i can do this

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture011.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture012.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture013.jpg)

I can't wait to tiller it! But i'm leaving town for 2 weeks to do a reno job on one of the gulf islands...no bowmaking for me for a couple weeks...time to shoot!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: radius on October 20, 2009, 01:47:29 pm: (http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture021.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb8%20michael/Picture022.jpg)

argh...getting there...

this one needed some love with a heat gun to get the string tracking straight....i had it braced to a tight 4" or so, drawing 40# at 16, but when i shot an arrow through it the string wound up "beside" the top recurve.

I made the recurves thick because yew LOVES to bend...so far so good, light and stiff...

The weird spot at the handle which is where the trunk branched has proved to be no problem, just a character handle, i love it. Can't wait to get this one finished and into the hands of its intended owner. The wife says he'll be like a little kid when he gets hold of it! That should be hilarious!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: Dave 55 on October 20, 2009, 04:08:00 pm: Man that yew is something,I like your mind set ( I can do this ) believe you probably can.
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: VenomBOWslinger on October 20, 2009, 07:57:24 pm: Good day RADIUS if any one can take a scragly stick and make it work its u!!! Looking good looks a bit stiff in the tiller but I know ur not finished!!! As always good one mate!!!
CHEERS!!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be
Post by: radius on October 21, 2009, 02:23:16 pm: Quote from: VenomBOWslinger on October 20, 2009, 07:57:24 pm
Good day RADIUS if any one can take a scragly stick and make it work its u!!! Looking good looks a bit stiff in the tiller but I know ur not finished!!! As always good one mate!!!
CHEERS!!

Thanks, bro!

Here we go...(was busy last night...who says we can't drink and carve????)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture052-1.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture042-1.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture043-1.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture044-1.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture046-1.jpg)

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture050-1.jpg)

Here's my roommate again, half-draw!

(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/Picture038-1.jpg)

This bow was strange. The upper limb is much thinner than the lower limb, but still stiffer when un-braced! The tiller is pretty much there, though, and that's what counts.

Final specs:

50# @ 28" (super fast shooter, too, i wanna keep this one!)
64" nock to nock measured straight from curve to curve

approx 9/8" wide at the handle.

He's gonna love it!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Josh on October 21, 2009, 04:22:54 pm: Good job Radius!!! Wow you really cleaned up that messy looking piece of wood spectacularly! Nice circular tiller too! :) -josh
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Kent D. on October 21, 2009, 04:44:55 pm: Looks great. I really like it.
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Dano on October 21, 2009, 05:34:18 pm: Nice lookin bow, but dang son!! them pictures make me dizzy, you got a rotate function on your computer?
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: OldBow on October 23, 2009, 12:05:43 pm: Almost missed this one. Great job on yew. Future FIL is lucky to have a bowyer in the family. Bookmarked for Oct Self BOM!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: bcbull on October 23, 2009, 01:10:42 pm: radius you did a heck of a job on that piece figured ud have a ton plms cuz of the knots at first but it looks real good ur tiller looks spot on brock
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on October 23, 2009, 02:32:31 pm: thanks everybody

brock, i don't find the knots too problematic, actually. Yew works extremely fast with a rasp. So you can take time with the knots, switch down to a finer file, get em done easy. Also, i go through a fair amount of superglue, filling in cracks in the knots. If there's a big knot on the very edge, with a hollow around it, i sometimes fill it with 5 minute epoxy.

I can see why yew has such a good reputation. Wow.
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: medicinewheel on October 23, 2009, 05:35:26 pm: Great job on that stave!
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Jesse on October 23, 2009, 06:23:32 pm: Really nice looking bow there Radius. Good job :)
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: ricktrojanowski on October 23, 2009, 10:18:33 pm: Nice job on a tough looking piece of wood. I really like the look of that bow. How thick is the sapwood?
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: bcbull on October 23, 2009, 10:46:36 pm: radius im like you ha i do a lot of yew also some iv had with knot s like that i threw in the corner got about half a doz of em startin at me makein me take a second look now :-\and thinkin about goin to menards get me some more super glue haha cant hurt to try brock
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: J05H on October 24, 2009, 12:23:30 am: Great looking bow man. Your work is always great. How about sending me a piece of that free yew. ;) ;)
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on October 24, 2009, 02:18:26 pm: Quote from: ricktrojanowski on October 23, 2009, 10:18:33 pm
Nice job on a tough looking piece of wood. I really like the look of that bow. How thick is the sapwood?

sapwood averages about 1/4" varies everywhere
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on October 24, 2009, 03:10:47 pm: Quote from: J05H on October 24, 2009, 12:23:30 am
Great looking bow man. Your work is always great. How about sending me a piece of that free yew. ;) ;)

might happen, bro...but now i am off to the u.k. and africa for a few months, so i can't pick up the yew til next spring.
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: mox1968 on October 24, 2009, 04:16:05 pm: looks great radius !!
Title: Re: bow for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on November 23, 2009, 09:01:34 am: Quote from: OldBow on October 23, 2009, 12:05:43 pm
Almost missed this one. Great job on yew. Future FIL is lucky to have a bowyer in the family. Bookmarked for Oct Self BOM!

missed this comment: thanks Oldbow...i'm sending the package today: this recurve, an oak holmegaard, and a yew holmegaard shorty...U K here i come!
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: zeNBowyer on November 23, 2009, 09:21:36 am: You do good work with yew Radius, for a Canadian:)
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on November 23, 2009, 09:47:06 am: thanks bro, i can't wait to get back into it

next project is going to be this: split a log in half and then froe inch-thick pieces off to make quartersawn yew bows.
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Parnell on November 23, 2009, 10:22:15 am: Off to Africa? Very cool, what's going on with that?
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on November 23, 2009, 10:25:26 am: well my friend, i'm going to the UK first, to get married, then we're hitting egypt for our honeymoon. I would like to trek at least across north africa...we'll have to see about the $...

btw i have a real ton of yew now, and i got a couple days in which to trade

hope all is well with you and the wife, Parnell
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: Parnell on November 23, 2009, 10:36:09 am: Awesome, Scott, sounds like a great adventure. Angie is taken a turn for the better over last 4-5 days. Less pain. Still using the walker for awhile though. I put a horn on it for her - I don't think I knew what I was asking for, now it's like living with a disabled clown. ;D Anyway - things goin in right direction.
Don't have much for trade now - haven't been able to get out much, but I'll be working on it. I'll look to see if you post anything over your trip - if not, may the force be with you. ;)
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on November 23, 2009, 10:39:47 am: yes it is always a mistake to give a noisemaker to a bored person.

over the next few months see if ya can't round up some osage, and i'll trade ya stave for stave when i get back.
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: juniper junkie on December 02, 2009, 09:18:41 pm: very nice! with the first pic of the log, I wouldnt have guessed a good bow could come from it, maybe I am just too picky with my staves. shows what can be achieved with determination. good job!
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on December 02, 2009, 10:16:38 pm: thanks alot jj! I sent this one off to the father in law last week and it arrived...my woman has it stashed under her bed, with two holmegaards....

i'm really stoked to give it to him!

thanks again...it's funny: this one wasn't all that hard.
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: zenmonkeyman on December 02, 2009, 11:54:35 pm: Is there anything that only grows in the prairies that you want? I'd like to try some yew too! (Hopefully it will come with more of that good advice)
Title: Re: yew recurve for father in law to be--full draw, finished pics
Post by: radius on December 03, 2009, 01:03:11 am: i dunno, man...we've got grass here in bc too!