Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DuBois on October 14, 2017, 04:58:17 pm
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First yew ever. Billets and just under bark was this crack running from one side to other and not sure how deep but edge in fade (red line) looks about 1/4". Length of entire limb to just before tip splice. Grain on belly looks straight with limb and when I hatcheted profile I thought it naturally followed along with grain so didn't think this was a crack with the grain. It does have a dip in the back that corresponds to the crack.
Filled with cyano and plan to wrap with rawhide at fade and then do a lattice rawhide wrap similar to a Meare Heathe.
PS: I did try dry heat to bend tip and cracked that so used some old tips with overlays I saved from a failed osage bow and spliced them on. Turning into another un intentional designed frankenstein
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Does it go the full depth of the sapwood? I've never seem something like that. I've made about 30-40 yew bows.
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Not exactly sure. On the tip end I can barely see it but seems to be near full sap depth
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Was there any marks on the bark? I am with Don, I have never seen that. It looks like a saw kerf in the pic almost. If it dosnt go into the heartwood its probably fine. Very strange. Cheers- Brendan
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I'm wondering if it isn't a fracture caused by a logging machine. Some Yew is gathered from slash piles and hasn't been treated nicely.
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Brendan, no noticeable marks on bark.
DC, that's what wondered, if it wasn't somehow cracked during harvesting. I did send a text to the guy I got it from with a pic to see if he has any insight into it.
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Remove the sapwood and make a heartwood only bow. No way I would trust that wrapped or not.
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Hey Mike,
I left the bark on until after I hatcheted it down to near floor tiller and then rasped it even closer. got a couple of hatchet cuts too deep and by the time I evened it all up I was down to a minimum amount of heartwood left so I can't do the all heartwood.
thinking about tillering the final touches by sapwood removal to flatten it out a bit and if it makes it to about 20" draw I'll back with hide
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Would plaining it flat and giving it a hard back be an option?
Kyle
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Very weird, never seen that either. Depending on how far you are along and how deep the crack is, you can just keep thinning the sapwood until the crack is gone or go the heartwood only route, but I wouldn't trust it. But of course sometimes it's fun to push the limits and see if these things will hold up, I've lucked out a few times with bows I thought were done for and proceeded anyway, and ended up with a shootable bow.
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I would remove the sapwood like Mike suggested, make a heartwood only bow or glue a hickory backing strip on.
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Sapwood removal is out due to thickness already. May try to take anything else from the backside in tillering though.
How could this be not with the grain? Just doesn't make sense.
This was sawn billets I bought with low crown. Could they have been not straight with grain when sawn and I not have known it.
First yew and rings are so thin; could grain appear to be straight down limb when I scrape belly and actually be run off the side?
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If those are sawed out billets I'd bet that is a check following the grain. Look at the discolorations, etc. They seem to be following the same course.
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If those are sawed out billets I'd bet that is a check following the grain. Look at the discolorations, etc. They seem to be following the same course.
Exactly what it is. It wont crack across the grain, not even sure it can. That's the only drag to cutting yew straight.
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It's definitely following the grain. The belly doesn't really reflect whether the bow is cut in a manner that straight lines a spiral.
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Yew lies in that way. The grain is so tight it doesn't show wander like thick rings do.
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HHB does the same thing. You can have the back looking clearly diagonal and the belly feathering nicely in a straight line. If you looked at the belly side closely you would probably notice the actual fiber lines running the same way.
It also depends somewhat if the tree decided to change direction of growth like Elm is prone to doing.
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That's what I meant to say Pat Pearly and Pat. Just wasn't sure how to say it.
So since the grain must be running off, would it be worth it to try wrapping at both points where it hits the edges and backing it? It looks to me now like it would have run off for a few inches at fade and the outer third. Probably kindling but I gotta mess with it still.
Is there a good way to judge yew grain? Hard for me to see it I guess.
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The only way I would continue on is with sinew/silk wraps on each end of the crack and then a rawhide back over all. Or, take all the sapwood off and add 2-3 courses of sinew. But that's a lot more work for the same results.
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I believe you said these are billets. If you remove the wood around the crack and shorten the other limb, how much length would you have? Jawge
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I actually did remove some sapwood to tiller the cracked limb but not much since I had little left to go.
My sinew wrapped tip splice let go on the non cracked limb which shortened it 5" and I just decided what the H, I'll just go with very asymmetrical limbs and see what happens. figure I may be playing around on a lost cause but it's not like I am on a deadline or anything. Just having fun. Will put up a pic of the freaks progress soon.