Another Yew Branch story

[DC]

I happened to look at my rack of bows and this one stood out. It wasn't hanging right. I took it down and it has 7 3/4" of reflex. I knew I didn't make it like that so after about a half hour of searching I found where I posted it
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,65130.0.html
It was originally a very reflexed branch(bottom of first page) so I cut and deflexed the handle to give me 3" of reflex. Never touched the rest of it. Shot it a bit and it's been on the rack since. Now it looks like this. What is amazing is how even it warped and how it looks like the string alignment is still good if a person could even brace it. I'm sure it had dried for more than a year before I made the bow but it looks like the sapwood kept shrinking. Not sure what I'm going to do with it.

[peacefullymadewarbows]

Low brace it. Let simmer for 6-12 hours. Full brace it. Simmer some more. Put her through the chrony and you have a stinking fast bow with an unreal FD curve! But for real yeah that is peculiar. It is a beautiful unbraced profiled though.

[DC]

I just noticed the handle insert is pulling away too. I'm thinking my storage area is too dry.

[DC]

Low brace it. Let simmer for 6-12 hours. Full brace it. Simmer some more. Put her through the chrony and you have a stinking fast bow with an unreal FD curve! But for real yeah that is peculiar. It is a beautiful unbraced profiled though.

I don't think I could brace it at all. I'll think about how to do it though.

[bradsmith2010]

one of those roller brace things like Badger has

[simk]

now thats veeeery strange DC - dunno what happened here - I have seen yew branches warping and reflexing when drying but not after that. I'm very curious but I doubt it will survive bracing. I do first brace on all of my bows on the peg board. Good luck and let us know the outcome....

[DC]

I've got a bracing jig kind of roller thing and a peg board. I don't think I could hold it from flipping in the jig and my peg board won't reach back far enough. Have to modify one of them. Looks like my storage area is about 35% RH which isn't good but it also isn't horrible. I've hung it outside. The RH is 75% during the day and 100% at night so I'll leave it for a few days to see what it does. I'm thinking that Yew branches need 3-5 years minimum for drying. This is the second one that's done weird stuff.

[simk]

DC,  on the peg board I somtimes secure the bow with wedges and pieces of rubber in the handle area so that its impossible to flip...

[Hamish]

What sort of glue did you use for the handle? I'm guessing that's more likely to be the cause of the lift and not how dry it is?

[DC]

Epoxy. West 105/205. There is a knot right by the separation that doesn't show in the picture that may have contributed. Also when I grabbed the piece of yew from under the bandsaw for the handle insert I may not of got a piece that was really dry. My bad.

[Weylin]

Yew branches do what ever the hell they want to do. They fool you because they will bend any way you tell them to with heat, but when you turn your back they move around all over the place. 

[DC]

It's strange because I made two or three branch bows with no problems but the last two made up for all of them. Wizardgoat commented that he had problems with one too. Sure make pretty bows though and this won't stop me from using them.

[bradsmith2010]

I think if u go really slow,..it might brace,..u could gently heat it,,.pulling slightly on long string,,,

[wizardgoat]

Yew branches can break your heart! I’ve made some great ones, and some, even after waiting for over 3 years in the whole will do wild things as soon as you hack into them.
A friend made a yew branch bow with me, it was really dense wood, we tillered it out and did all the finishing. A few months later and it looks like yours. I steamed and steamed, used a heat gun, and finally got it straight again. During re tiller, she blew up big time

[bradsmith2010]

Maybe put sinew on it if you get it straight,,,I guess on belly too