Reducing sapwood - any tips?

[stuckinthemud]

chasing rings in yew seems to take forever.  I have a stave with 1/2 inch thick sapwood which I want to take to 1/4”.  I have roughed it down with a draw knife and have started cleaning up the back with knife and scraper. Boy is it a test of patience.  Good weather, jug of coffee decent radio, all help the time go by, but any other tips on speeding the process up?

[Pat B]

Yew is one wood that you don't have to have a clean back sapwood ring. I think if you make the sapwood consistent thickness of about 1/4" or a little less you should be ok but let others more familiar with yew chime in.

[Del the cat]

What Pat said...
If you want to spend time and effort making it look pretty, do it by degrees as the bow progresses towards being finished. Don't clean up a whole stave!
Del

[Dances with squirrels]

I like them to be one ring if at all possible. It takes time and that's ok with me. I'm in no hurry and I enjoy working that buttery yew wood. I don't have any real secrets to speed it up for ya. Like Del said, I do it after the stave is reduced in width, albeit it usually a bit oversized.