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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Yew design questions
« on: October 13, 2009, 10:51:32 pm »
I have a Yew stave (from billets).  It has about 1/4"-3/8" of sapwood and the bark is still on.  Should I just remove the bark and that is the back or should I remove some of the sapwood?  If I remove some sapwood do I have to follow a ring?  Hopefully not seeing that the rings are paper thin. ;D.  I'm looking to make a 64" bow about 50# at 27" with a semi rounded belly.
Thanks for any help
Rick
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Traverse City, MI

Offline Pat B

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2009, 11:21:33 pm »
Just remove the bark and go from there. Yew sapwood makes an excellent backing.
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Offline Keenan

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2009, 10:41:17 am »
Pat is right, just remove the bark, yew will tolerate some ring violations as long as they are not real severe.   1/4" of sap is the desired thickness and yew works well with just about any style of bow.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2009, 09:31:58 pm by Keenan »
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Offline adb

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2009, 08:11:49 pm »
I've made yew ELBs both ways... following a sapwood ring and not. Didn't seem to make any difference, but it sure took forever to chase a singal ring on a high density piece, and I'm still not sure I even got it.
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Offline shamus

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2009, 09:00:28 pm »
remove bark and go.  :)
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Offline juniper junkie

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2009, 11:26:53 pm »
good advise here. the design you have mentioned should make a excellent bow. if the bark is stubborn, leave it until you get the limbs to start bending, sometimes the bark pops loose when you flex the limbs.
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Offline Granite Mtn

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2009, 12:31:05 am »
I would humbly suggest you back the bow with either silk (my preference) or raw hide.  It is not that yew selfbows can not be made but if you intend the bow for hunting or rough use, the backing provides an added measure of protection.  The only reasons  to thin the sap wood of yew are if the sap wood is damaged from felling or skidding, or if the sap wood is excessively thick.
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2009, 10:18:12 pm »
I'm thinking that I will thin it a bit because upon more detailed inspection the sapwood is 3/8" thick in most areas.  It is 1/4" in some but goes up to 1/2" at one end of the stave.  Then I'll back it with rawhide.   I don't want to chance an all sapwood limb tip.  Does this sound good or am I overthinking it?  I have a tendency to do that. ;D
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Traverse City, MI

Offline Dano

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2009, 10:57:42 pm »
Sounds good to me, I've always been told 3/16" is good for the sapwood, 1/4" is fine if it makes you feel better, go for it. Backing with rawhide is great insurance.
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2009, 05:59:11 pm »
You don't want all sapwood at the tips so you may need to reduce the sap wood layer, I don't think you need to worry about a bit of ring violation as long it is done sympathetically.
Sapwood doesn't always stay in a nice even layer, my latest stave has lovely even sap wood on one side of the stave (say 1/4" think and straight) but, look at it from the other side (a mere 3/4" away and it's completely different 1/2" thick and wavy....
Work with the wood, ocaisionally you will have to do it 'wrong' but Yew is pretty forgiving. I actually made a bow (Mr Wobbly) from the bad half of the stave, I did it all wrong deliberately just to see how far I could push it...huge knot dead centre of one limb with no extra timber left around it, bends front to back and side to side. It turned out fine...twists in the hand a tad, but it chucks an arrow fast and mean.



Del
« Last Edit: October 16, 2009, 06:10:54 pm by Del the cat »
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2009, 09:58:52 pm »
Del the Cat
Is that an heartwood ''island" on the back of the bow.  If so Wow :o Yew is forgiving.  This gives me lots of confidence. 
Thanks for the help guys.

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Traverse City, MI

radius

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2009, 01:48:28 pm »
dude i've made a number of yew bows lately and this is what i have found:

narrow, thick limbs are superior to wide, thin limbs.  Retains its original shape better when done this way.

Knots, no matter:  pound right through them and then fill them with superglue if need be.

sapwood/heartwood at tips:  don't matter, cuz you're going to put tip overlays on it anyway.

have fun, this stuff is great!
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2009, 03:31:07 pm »
Quote from: ricktrojanowski on October 18, 2009, 09:58:52 pm
Del the Cat
Is that an heartwood ''island" on the back of the bow.  If so Wow :o Yew is forgiving.  This gives me lots of confidence. 
Thanks for the help guys.


Yup, that's a BIG fat knot that comes right out on the back as an island, it is much smaller on the belly and is about an inch closer to the handle, so it goes through the limb at a shallow angle. I didn't leave extra thickness of timber there, but there is some extra width...I deliberately did a lot of 'bad' things just to see how far I could push it, you ca se a small crack opening across the face of the knot, but it didn't break.
I was going to throw the satve away, but I just had a play for the fun of it...it gives me confidence in the good half of the log which I'm currently working down.
There's a whole good twin...evil twin thing going on with that log :)
BTW it's a flat bow section not longbow, but it does show what a great timber it is.
Oh yes it's English Yew, and everyone knows you 'can't make bows from English Yew' ;) ::)
Del
« Last Edit: October 19, 2009, 03:47:58 pm by Del the cat »
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Yew design questions
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2009, 10:32:12 pm »
Nice work.  Don't let the bow know that it can't be one. ;)
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Traverse City, MI
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