Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: mspink on June 17, 2013, 01:41:27 am
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Hey guys got some yew from a logger in the mountains of Idaho. The biggest hes ever seen. Top end is 7 inches across and bottom is 10 or so. about 10 feet long. Not too twisty. But will be a challenge. will be posting a pic soon. But cant wait to try it. High ring count.
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heres the pics.
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Has white aint on te ends. You can see the heart wood soaking through. Was cut four years ago.
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Wow ! Wish I could get my hands on some yew
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Looks as twisted as it gets. But will still make a sweet bow!
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I can see the ELB right there, just layin' along that twist.
Use it well grasshopper... become the Yew
Del
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Not trying to dampen your spirits, but I can see severe drying checks and some pretty good twisting. Not beyond salvation, though. Spend a long time just looking at the log, and figuring out where the cracks and knots are. Then make a plan for where the bows are laid out in this log. Split it along the checks, with a maximum yield.
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Not trying to dampen your spirits, but I can see severe drying checks and some pretty good twisting. Not beyond salvation, though. Spend a long time just looking at the log, and figuring out where the cracks and knots are. Then make a plan for where the bows are laid out in this log. Split it along the checks, with a maximum yield.
Yeah, but if you wait for the perfect log you'll never get any wood.
You should see the haul I got on Thursday, some very marginal wood and nothing anywhere good as that, but still worth harvesting.
I'd swap my haul for that one log any day.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/early-fathers-day-adventure.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/early-fathers-day-adventure.html)
BTW. I'd prob run it through the bandsaw to get the two best halfs. There's plenty of length for some adjustment of where the bows sit in the wood. Once you have halves it's easier to lay out and manage.
Del
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True, this log should still yield some very usable wood. It's far from perfect, but much better that nothing!
Running a 10 inch diameter log through a bandsaw is far from easy. I'd split it myself. If you bandsaw it, you'll also run a risk that a drying check will be running across a future bow limb. Splitting it does mean you need to heat correct the twist out, but it would be my preferred method for this particular log.
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Its definitely not as twisty as it can get. The bottom of this tree which was cut off spiralled like crazy. This is very doable. Ill get a few out of it. Sure is some heavy stuff.
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Never said it wasn't doable.
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lucky yew ;) just want to caution that just beacuse it was down for 4 years does not necessarily mean it will be nice and dry. Be sure to dry the stave at least a week or two after you unlock it from that log and have it reduced to near bow-dimensions. If you are not experienced splitting yew, and you have access to a bandsaw that can handle that, then I would vote for band saw. Splitting logs with twist and large branches like that can be quite tricky. look forward to the bows tha come of it.
And keep billets on your mind when cutting it. Long logs tend to get me thinking warbow and elb, but don't step over three nice pairs of billets for one stave.
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Not really any point running it through a bandsaw, with the amount of twist, and checks that it has.
Definitely split it at least into quarters, before you even think about sawing out staves, sawing along the grain rather than down the trunk in a straight line.
The base section might be best used in a billet length section. Crosscut off 3&1/2ft, then try riving from the existing split/check, and use it as an experiment before attempting to tackle the stave length section.
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Now you know why you pay a premium for straight yew. :laugh:
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this brings up something that I am somewhat undecided about...when you have a twisted log and band saw it straight into staves, with the twisted grain wouldnt that cause some issues when building your bow??? would it be better to split so you can tell how the grain lays and work with that? like to see what others think. that is a good score you have there and should get some nice bow wood out of it. it also make nice wood for picture frames etc. good use for scraps.
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Yew can put up with a fair amount of bend/twist/run off and other problems in an ELB.
Just my experience, hence my earlier advice.
If you have half a log, you can still lay a bow out on the diagonal or following a twist. I still maintain you have more control with a bandsaw.
I'm sure you could bandsaw it on the twist if you really insist on having some twist.
Twist ain't half the problem it's made out to be anyhow (IMO again)
Del
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That is awefull twisted, but I think you can get something from it...good luck. :D
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That looks like a "lay out the bow along the twist then heat straighten the beejeezus out of it" job. Best advice I got about dealing with twist within a log was on here, and somebody said "imagine you could magically wrestle the log straight, lay the bow out then let the log twist back up again." That way you won't be dealing with crazy sapwood ratio changes and grain run off etc like you would if you pretended the twist wasn't there.
Get the pan of boiling water ready, and a heat gun. You're gonna need 'em ;)
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lucky yew ;) just want to caution that just beacuse it was down for 4 years does not necessarily mean it will be nice and dry. Be sure to dry the stave at least a week or two after you unlock it from that log and have it reduced to near bow-dimensions. If you are not experienced splitting yew, and you have access to a bandsaw that can handle that, then I would vote for band saw. Splitting logs with twist and large branches like that can be quite tricky. look forward to the bows tha come of it.
And keep billets on your mind when cutting it. Long logs tend to get me thinking warbow and elb, but don't step over three nice pairs of billets for one stave.
I disagree I wouldnt touch it with a band saw .
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That is one twisted and checked mother of a yew log.......personally I probably wouldn't bother with it....but thats just me and I have lots of nice yew staves ;)
My advice is split it and like others have said keep a good look out for potential billets. Billets from big pieces are normally the way to go. If you split a pair side by side and they are twisted you can orientate them so that the twists are 'cancelled' out.
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Why not Joe? Because it's best to hand split?
I hand split a similar size (and twisted) yew stave. It had about 90 degrees of twist over 6 feet of distance. I figured it was not worth the effort.
What's the most amount of twist anyone has made a bow with?
Dan
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I agree with Del,I would split it right down the center with a band saw and deal with the 2 halfs. Haven't done much Yew but have delt with a lot of twisted logs.
You will loose some because of grain run off but not as much as you are likely to loose splitting. :) QuercusNW about 90 degrees,but it wasn't yew,it was Osage. Heat gun and go at it with sage. :)
Pappy
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Because there is already a split in the base of the trunk, splitting is the best way. With this log you have to deal with radial twist, and some longitudinal twist at the same time. This will happen automatically when splitting. A bandsaw, you can only stear in one plane at once, if the grain changes radially, like it does in this log(pith to bark), you can't change it safely mid cut, without risking breakage of the blade, especially with a 10" dia log in the round.
There is no doubt a bandsaw is the most economical method when you want maximum board ft, or the log is a straight trunk with straight grain. Even will a bandmill set up, the log needs either one flat surface to ride over the table and not twist mid cut, or it needs to be dogged on either end of the mill so it won't turn during the cut.
Work with the grain and don't disregard it at this stage.Same again with the cracks that have already developed in the end grain. Sure there is some leeway once it is split into quarters, when you can see exactly how the grain runs, then you can tell if bandsawing really is an option.
Otherwise you might get only one bow, rather than half a dozen.
Whatever path you decide on take pictures and show us the results. Good luck.
Hamish.
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From looking at the pic, I persOnally would saw it off crosswise at the saw nick in the pic. I would measure down as close to 40 inches as I could get then saw lengthwise at a slight angle following the twist of the tree for billets. You split it you may regret it. I cut lots of yew....I ALWAYS saw it.
VMB
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@ Hamish
'A bandsaw, you can only stear in one plane at once'.
You must have the cleanest straightest cuttin' bestest bandsaw in the whole wide world... that baby must be worth a fortune ;)
Del
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Split it in half and then 1/4 saw it into boards. Back it with ash, maple (my favourite) or hickory and there will be dozens of bows in that log.
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Hi Del, Yes my bandsaw is a piece of crap, but it has a good blade and I know how to tune it to perfection. :) I have twisted my fair share of blades trying to cut some stupid logs, and freehand cuts not just bowstaves, but lots of treen.
Hamish