Yew sapwood - a quick question

[SimonUK]

When following a single growth ring on the back of the bow, do you leave the white or dark layer on the surface? One is the early wood and one the late wood, but I don't know which is which.

I've been leaving the dark layer on the surface as it is a bit harder. The scraper in my hand tells me that's the place to stop. But on the other hand, the white layer seems quite fibrous and might be stronger in tension. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Heiner]

Hi Simon,

the dark layer is the early wood, the white one is the late wood according to the TBB1. Personally, I use one of the (more brittle imo) dark layers as a marker. I target the white layer below that marker as my later bowback. When working the back with the drawknife, I stop when I touch the marker-layer, leaving the white layer beneath it almost untouched. When the whole dark layer is visible, I use the scraper to take of the thin dark maker-layer nice and easy. After that there's a pretty white layer - my bow's back.

I'm quite new to this though. That way, I found it easier to work. But I'm interested in what the veterans have to say .

Yours,
Heiner

[Rod]

That works if your yew has a pretty low ring count. But above a certain ring count it becomes something that only an obsessive with extraordinary eyesight and touch would even consider trying to do.

On the majority of tight ring heavy bow staves the individual ring is pretty much ignored.
Imagine the impracticality of trying to accurately chase a very thin sapwood backring when filling an order for hundreds or thousands of  warbows.

I would not even consider trying unless I had a pretty low ring count...

If you look at a typical warbow back, you will see lots of little islands and feathering in and out.
No backing, just air on the back.

The skill is in learning to follow the general line and make the correct allowance for character.

But I guess this method developed from trying to follow a single ring exactly, but failing without making any significant or radical departures.

Rod.

[SimonUK]

Yes Rod I agree, it's often not possible where rings are close. Sometimes it's not even possible to follow a single ring. I was just wondering which of the two layers you would follow if you had a choice.

[Rod]

Where the sapwood ring count is low enough to be followed leave the fatter white wood late growth untouched.
Incidentally, if you want to make a flatbow with sapwood on the back, it is useful to have a stave with a thin sapwood layer which can be left pretty much untouched.
On the other hand for a longbow a thicker sapwood layer can be reduced pretty much by eye, considering the character of the stave itself and the sapwood/heartwood interface, bearing in mid that this interface might not show the same appearance on both sides of the stave.
Rod.