Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: rossfactor on July 03, 2014, 08:29:31 pm
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There’s been a lot of yew bows posted recently… but I guess one more can’t hurt :D
Bryce and I decided to do a bow trade back in October (sheesh or maybe it was September). Well, its July, and I’m finally sending the man a bow. I know he was hoping for a plum bow, but apparently the bow gods didn’t agree. All in all, I got three bows to the shooting in stage before I finished this one. I had a couple heart breakers including a purple leaf plum that I’ll post later, which popped a chrysle after shooting in.
I am probably a fool for sending a PNW boy a yew wood bow. Pincecone knows his way around a yew stave (just check out a couple of his posts). BUT this bow definitely has some good mojo and I feel good sending it to him. I cut the stave during a wedding up in the Trinity Alps at about 3000 ft elevation. It was growing in creek bed, in a grove of about 100 or so other yew trees. This was a gnarly old tree, with some strong deflex in the trunk, and it was dying. Half the trunk had exposed grey wood… but I saw a bow in the other side of the tree (the deflexed side) and for some reason I really felt compelled to cut…. it so I went with my gut. When Bryce and I decided to do a trade, I immediately thought of this stave, but instead went with a Plum stave. When the plum went south I tried a few other things. But every time I went to the stash this old piece of Yew thing kept calling my name, and so finally I decided ‘what the heck!’
Aright, enough backstory, here’s the details:
This stave was drying in the shed for almost 3 years, and I roughed it out with a hatchet about 1 year ago. As I said it had some deflex when it was alive and it added another inch of deflex as it dried, ending with about 3.” I chose to leave the deflex in the bow and work around it. The bow ended up 63” ntn, about 57” straight-line distance. Its got some 5+” static tips that I boiled in. Sure makes for a smooth draw. Inner limbs are a shade over 1.5” tapering to ½” at the tips. She pulls 54/55 # @ 27” but I’ve pulled her to 57/58# @28” no problems. This bow took about an inch of set (e.g its full deflex is hard to measure with the static tips but it started at ~3” and I”d say its 3.5 to 4” now). Full disclosure, the set was mostly from one early bracing incident where I pushed it too far to fast… doh. But everything worked out in the in the end. As I told Bryce on the phone, this may not be the fastest bow I’ve made but she draws smooth, shoots where I look and sends a heavy arrow into my target with some authority. The bow barley opens up in the handle at full draw. I think this bow will hunt well.
Here it is:
The stave prior to any tillering:
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/20140510_214301_zps9e922d0a.jpg)
Unbraced
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4356_zps609a0ca8.jpg)
braced
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4390_zps14887b32.jpg)
Some character
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4363_zps49ea3407.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4362_zps5b28c0a0.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4415_zps8f1f0f82.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4436_zps5dd6f1ed.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4414_zps1e1238e6.jpg)
The back: There are some longitudinal cracks in the sapwood, but they where their when I cut the tree, and the wrapping is mostly aesthetic. Having shot the bow in, I don’t think they pose a risk any time soon…
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4433_zps73f5e7f5.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4436_zps5dd6f1ed.jpg)
Oh Yeah… I did get some plum into this bow, the arrow pass is shaped from plum bark… Also, the handle is my first attempt at a double loop lacing, and I think you can tell I’m no leather worker. Still it fits very comfortably in the hand. The handle is reddish soft cow leather over built up cork. The lacing is black deer hide.
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4379_zpse6df218b.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4451_zps3191605b.jpg)
Braced (plus a little)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4384_zps642c32ad.jpg)
And the money shot.
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4385_zps19abe37e.jpg)
(http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g124/rossfactor/IMG_4387_zps67da2dbf.jpg)
Thanks for looking. And thanks for your patience Bryce. We should hook up and hunt the cascades sometime (I’m only 1.5 hrs south of Oregon), or at least do some BBQ and look at bows.
Gabe
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That's a fine bow Gabe! Very fine!
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That there is one beautiful bow sir!! Fine work!
Tattoo Dave
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That's a beauty, love the leather work...Tiller is $$$...I like a good story behind a bow to... 8)
Don
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Yeah I enjoy it more with a story too. Man that full draw shot.... all these yew bows lately are driving me insane. So beautiful. It wouldn't be so hard if I didn't have Yew in the garage which I know I'm not ready for, sigh :laugh:
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That is Awesome!!!!Love those curves!!!Yew is great stuff wish I had a 150 acres of it-Hammertime
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Sweet bow, I have really been liking these deflexed bows here lately.
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HOLY CRAP! That is a beauty! What extremely weird is that we both made the same style bow! HAHAHAHAHA
Oh man!!! I can't wait for that thing to get here!!!! Specs are perfect! Everything about it! From grip to tips is all perfect!
I'll hunt with that thing for sure!
HOT DOG!!!!
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Very nice bow, Gabe. Beautiful full draw. 8)
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Thanks you guys! I appreciate the nice words.
Hammertime your yew bow was sweet! I was gonna say something about not seeing a lot of yew statics that are self bows with no underlays, but yours and others, especially Pearly's bow from last year are some great examples of that.
Steve, I really think there's something to these naturally deflexed Staves. Keenan's work in his Feb BOM from 2010, as well as some of Manny's bows got me into the deflexed staves. I've noticed that natural deflex often produces high early draw weights, and reduces my tendency for set (except when I make silly mistakes). I wonder natural deflex has some impact on a loss of energy from hysteresis?
Bryce, I'm super stoked that you like the way this bow looks, and I really hope you like how it feels and shoots. Looks are only half the battle. If this trade has taught me anything (or reinforced something I already knew) its that when your working with natural materials like wood, there's no such thing as certainty.
Gabe
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Great story and a great looking bow gabe I like how you still worked the plumb into the bow, have any luck on the fishing trip?
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Oh man Bubby. We had a blast and we got into some real wild country way up the Middle Fork canyon. Thats one heck of a gorge, must be 1000 ft deep. And yeah, we sure got into some nice rainbows, especially way back in there, Most survived, but we had to stop and build a quick fire on the bank for one or two O:) I tell you what though, that country is hard on gear. I broke a reel and lost a knife. My buddy broke his reel and bent the handle bars on his dual sport.
Gabe
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Sounds about right for that country, good deer and bear territory too, just a pain to get out
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I think you made the perfect bow for that stave Gabe, great design, nice details on the finishing and the tiller is a thing of beauty in itself. Just has to be a good shooter when they bend that well.
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There's an amazing amount of talent here at PA !!!
Beautiful bow..
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I bet thats a dream to shoot. Lovely job.
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Man you stuck that tiller perfect. I bet it does shoot like a dream. Congrats to Bryce for what he is about to recieve. Danny
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Thanks Danny, i've always dug your bows. Thanks dwardo, Pat and Greg. You're right Pat, I think we're all pretty lucky to have so many great bowyers to learn from around here... and you're up on that list.
Happy 4th to you guys as well (even if you live across the pond).
Gabe
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You did a good job with that one, looks quite good. You probably have at least another 1" draw in that bow, if you wanted it.
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Way nice! Every inch of it.
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Great job here, Gabe. Nice lines, spot on tiller and a beautyful wood.
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Thanks Marc, Slimbob and Simpson. Yeah Marc, she draws to 28 no problem, but it feels more comfortable at 27, which I think will work out good for Bryce.
Btw guys, Bryce texted me a sneek peak of his bow... I gotta say, I think I'm getting the better end of this deal :o.
Gabe
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Nice bow, Gabe! You gave that deflexed yew the perfect treatment. I have a piece like that and you gave me some inspiration for it. I'll make Bryce let me shoot it. As for the bow you're getting. I've seen it. It's off the hook! 8)
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i keep coming back to this page to look at this beauty!
cant wait to get this sucker in the mail!!!!!