Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Weylin on December 08, 2012, 04:26:56 pm

Title: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Weylin on December 08, 2012, 04:26:56 pm
Here is my latest bow. It is made from a piece of pacific yew that my father cut about 30 years ago in the California coast range.

It is 66" ntn, 62# @ 26" it weighs 20.5 ounces. The tip overlays are ebony, the hand wrap is leather with leather lace, the finish is 7 coats of tru-oil and the string is 12 strands of fast flight. I reduced the sapwood down to 1/4", it was 1/2" to start with. There was one knot that made a hole all the way through the bow so I filled it with sawdust and CA glue. The bottom limb had some natural reflex to it and the top limb was virtually straight. I heated some reflex in the top limb to match the bottom limb and a little has stayed. the over all reflex of the bow is about 1".

I'm please with how this turned out, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for looking.

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4342.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6047.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6048.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6052.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6057.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6059.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6063.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6062.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6061.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6073.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6066.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6067.jpg)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN6069.jpg)

Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Roy on December 08, 2012, 04:28:51 pm
Well, I guess it's Ok. :)
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Fred Arnold on December 08, 2012, 04:46:31 pm
You get my vote! Absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to have to find some Yew.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Badly Bent on December 08, 2012, 04:56:17 pm
Looks to be a dandy bow Weylin. Nice unbraced profile and I like the subtle narrowing of the handle/flare area. So did your dad make
bows also?
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Zion on December 08, 2012, 04:57:57 pm
Real nice  8) Thats some nice yew right there
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Keenan on December 08, 2012, 05:04:52 pm
Man that came out fantastic Weylin! Great looking profile and very nice tips. How could you not love the clean beauty of yew! You will have to have a shoot off with Gordon at the rendezvous this spring. I bet that 30 yr old yew has some snap to her. Congratulations
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: dwardo on December 08, 2012, 05:23:50 pm
Every bit of that is nice  8)
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: toomanyknots on December 08, 2012, 05:25:08 pm
Just beautiful.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Jodocus on December 08, 2012, 05:58:16 pm
Lovely. There is no wood nearly as beautiful as yew. Very nice bow, good tiller.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Del the cat on December 08, 2012, 06:13:50 pm
Very handsome, near as damnit to an ELB or sort of American longbow morphing into an ELB.
I bet she shoots sweet as a nut.
Del
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Josh Shuck on December 08, 2012, 06:20:40 pm
Beautiful lines and well proportioned.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Gordon on December 08, 2012, 07:31:41 pm
Hey Keenan, Weylin and his bow are on my side this year  >:D

Weylin, that turned out just terrific. Your bows just get more refined with each one.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Will H on December 08, 2012, 08:00:46 pm
Very nice!! Tiller is spot on ;)
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Jim Davis on December 08, 2012, 08:12:27 pm
I assume I get  a prize for being the first to notice that in the braced photo your shooting  glove is on your right hand and in the full draw photo, it's on the left. What? No prize? Oh well, maybe you are ambidextrous?

Very nice bow. Hope some day I  can get a yew stave to work with.

Jim Davis
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Adam on December 08, 2012, 08:16:07 pm
Wow!  That's some really nice work right there.  Yew sure is beautiful and you certainly did it justice.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: vinemaplebows on December 08, 2012, 08:18:58 pm
Very nice!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Weylin on December 08, 2012, 08:43:19 pm
Thanks, Roy. I'm glad you approve. ;)

Thank you, Fred. You should definitely work with yew some time, it's amazing stuff.

Thank you, Badly Bent. My dad started working on one of the staves that he cut but never finished it. last year he gave me the half finished bow, and two other staves. I finished the one he started and gave it back to him and I made bows for my self out of the other two.

Thanks, Zion. It was a pretty nice piece. They're not the tightest rings in the world but it was a nice clean piece and since I'm not making a warbow it is plenty snappy and just fine for this design.

Thanks, You're always so complimentary, Keenan. There's nothing quite like yew. I just don't get the same magical feeling when I finish a bow with other woods. Are you trying to sow dissension in the Westside ranks by pitting Gordon against me?  8)

Thank you, Dwardo, TMK and Jodocus.

Thanks, Del. Yeah it's close to an ELB. I guess I'm not ready to totally give up the stiff handle yet. Maybe someday. I have all that yew seasoning from my haul this summer. I promise I'll turn one of those into a proper bow for ya. You just have to show me how to make the horn nocks and how to shoot with my little pinky sticking out.

Thank you, Josh.

Thanks, Gordon. I'm finally learning to get that handle down to a reasonable size, I think it makes a big difference in the aesthetics of the bow not to mention the comfort. Now I just have to let myself put a finish on the bow before I do the handle wrap. I always get impatient to do the hand wrap and then I scuff it all up when I do the finish. I think this bow finally convinced me.  And don't worry, I wont fall for Keenan's bait so easily.

Thank you, Will.

Jim, you do get the prize, good eye. As Blackhawk would say, "winner, winner chicken dinner!" Unfortunately I'm not ambidextrous, just a little absent minded. I put on the glove, took the brace picture and then went to draw the bow and slapped my forehead. I guess I haven't shot in a few weeks and I'm already getting rusty.

Thanks, Adam. That's kind of you to say.

Thanks VMB!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: blackhawk on December 08, 2012, 09:23:01 pm
Winner winner,chicken dinner... :laugh:.....mmmmmmm....tasty delicious well seasoned yew..nice job Weylin
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: loefflerchuck on December 08, 2012, 09:40:42 pm
Another fine bow Weylin. I know how those things shoot.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: seabass on December 08, 2012, 10:13:18 pm
very nice brother.that is a great looking bow.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Carson (CMB) on December 08, 2012, 10:14:56 pm
Another beauty Weylin.  I am guessing that is no longer intended to be your wife's bow  >:D.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Bryce on December 08, 2012, 10:15:53 pm
That's a very well made piece of yew :) can't wait for mine to dry. I'm starting to get the itch!
Very lovely.

-Pinecone
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: lesken2011 on December 08, 2012, 10:40:01 pm
Another well-done bow, sir! I have to admit that yew is pretty stuff! Too bad we don't have it down here. :(
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: coaster500 on December 09, 2012, 12:48:04 am
Killer bow Weylin!!!!

Bet it shoot sweet!!!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: rossfactor on December 09, 2012, 02:11:15 am
Really Nice Weylin! I'm loving seeing all this West Coast Yew! The tiller is a beaut!

 I'm putting my first coat of oil on my first yew bow tonight. Can hardly wait for the next week of drying, and reapplying finish. Its the hardest part of the game  :P

Gabe
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: chamookman on December 09, 2012, 04:47:33 am
Looks great - You did the stave justice. Bob
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: SLIMBOB on December 09, 2012, 09:21:05 am
Nice work Weylin.  Looks like a shooter for sure.  Gotta find me a yew stave some day.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: PaulN/KS on December 09, 2012, 10:36:45 am
That is a very good looking bow Sir. Nice to see all this yew being shown lately... it makes a pretty bow.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Utmostcone on December 09, 2012, 02:51:22 pm
just beautiful. Those ebony tips are sweet
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: bowsandroses on December 10, 2012, 12:48:59 am
If ever I wanted a long bow You'r holding her in that pic. friend. >:( Sweet!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: steve b. on December 10, 2012, 01:28:07 am
Congrats....really nice.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: ravenbeak on December 10, 2012, 03:00:51 am
That is a lovely bow you made there.  congratulations on a job well done.

Gotta love the Yew!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Pappy on December 10, 2012, 08:57:08 am
Now that's a beauty right there,beautiful bow. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: BowEd on December 10, 2012, 09:37:17 am
Mesmerizing full draw tiller there.Very nice job all around.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Weylin on December 10, 2012, 09:43:13 pm
Thank you all so much for your kind words, it means a lot to get such support from all these great bowyers.

CMB, my wife is welcome to shoot this bow any time she wants. She just has to pull 62 lbs. left handed.  ::)
As a background for that, I was originally planning on making this bow a 40# target bow for my wife but I kinda fell in love with the stave as I was making it. Well, one thing led to another and what do you know, it came out right at my specs.  O:) I'll just have to make her a bow with something else, she's too busy to go shooting right now, and it's cold and wet out right now anyway... right?
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Will H on December 10, 2012, 11:10:14 pm
Very nice yew bow right there! Thanks fer sharin!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: LimbLover on December 11, 2012, 09:44:34 am
I love it. Great photos too!
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Sidewinder on December 11, 2012, 12:11:19 pm
See that bow right there is what I was talking about in the osage thread, absolutley stunning. Yew is hard to beat for beauty thats for sure. Very well done my friend. I think you made the right choice to make it a shooter for yourself, its a bow thats a keeper especially at that draw weight. Bet it sticks an arra out there mighty fine.   Danny
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Weylin on December 14, 2012, 02:35:14 am
Hey, thanks guys.  :) I'm glad you like it. Now I need to do a work out regimen so I can shoot it comfortably. I've been out of commission for a month with some bad tennis elbow and I've lost a lot of strength.  :-\
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Carson (CMB) on December 14, 2012, 03:23:16 am
Bring your elbow down buddy. :P   looking forward to seeing that sage you are working on.
Title: Re: Pacific Yew Longbow
Post by: Weylin on December 14, 2012, 11:22:49 am
Yeah, I know. My form's pretty bad on the full draw pic. I was surprised at how much strength I'd lost when I cranked it back. Getting old sucks.  :-\