recurving yew question

[blackhawk]

I just boiled and bent some yew over the form. How long do you wait to pull it off the form? Till it cools like osage?,or leave it sit for one nights sleep like a whitewood? Yew bends awesome,as well if not better than osage. I love bending wood like a noodle...


 

[Pat B]

John, you can take it out of the form as soon as it cools completely through. I generally leave any wood bent at least until tomorrow. Even then I try not to stress it for a few days after that. Being that you boiled the tips moisture was introduced back into the wood so you have to consider that too.

[HighEagle]

Nice bend Blackhawk, How long was the boil time? Hour? Good on ya... Crg

[blackhawk]

ThanksPat...ill take this end off later and do the other end tonight. I prob wont be bending and tillering this for a lil while yet,so im safe.

Thanks Craig...the wood is exactly 5/8" thick, and I let it sit in hot water on a low medium setting for fifteen mins then brought it to a boil for a half hour. No problems bending it over,perfectly pliable. And a strap was used and I don't see any splinters raised....yet....

[Pat B]

You can seal the part to be boiled or steamed with shellac and it will help prevent moisture from entering the wood. Shellac can take the heat and moisture and is easily removed later if needed.
  ...and you're not John are you? 

[blackhawk]

LOL Pat...yeah my names not John,but my step dads is ...and yuppers... I shellacked back,belly and sides of the ends that were immersed in the boiling water.Thanks...CHRIS...LOL

[Del the cat]

Three days if you want to be safe.
Del

[Keenan]

 Looks like ya got your answere. Yes yew bends like a dream Nice curves.

[JW_Halverson]

Oh my!  I have a piece of yew coming my way and I think I may have to bend some recurves into it.  Maybe not that radical, but recurves none-the-less!

I can hardly wait to see the rest of the bow!

[blackhawk]

Thanks guys....here's the stave after both curves bent. It still needs some mid limb correction and one pulled over to get the string on the handle. But it might a bit yet before I get to this one. I just felt like torturing some wood today and this was a good candidate. 


 

[dwardo]

Thats gonna be lovely

I have killed a lovely paddle bnow from wych elm by stressing the wood too soon. I leave until cool or next day and dont stress the wood again for another day after that. Not worth the risk. There is plenty of other things to be doing do like refining nocks and tidying up the workshop which always needs doing!

[JW_Halverson]

I tend to let a bow stand for at least a week after applying ANY kind of heat to induce a bend.  The wood has to come back to some kind of stabilization whether it's re-hydrating after dry heat or drying out after wet heat.  Good time to spend working on arrows or teaching someone else how to make a bow, but definitely let it rest a while.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Wait just a minute mister! Is that green wood from July? Hmmmmm?