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Author Topic: Some questions for Yew  (Read 4797 times)

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Offline Lil Bow Pete

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Some questions for Yew
« on: February 15, 2012, 03:51:00 am »
I've acquired some yew logs. When they were offered to me I had visions of selfbows. I was disappointed to see that they had been laying on the ground in the rain forest of coastal B.C. for twenty years or so. The sap wood is all rotted off and there was moss growing on it. The heart wood is sound so I had them milled into 2" boards. My question is, can I make a yew board bow without backing? Do I need to chase a ring in the heart wood [Almost impossible with the tight growth rings]? Is yew heart wood strong enough in tension to be self backed? If it has to be backed, what material would you use? Bamboo? Hickory? Ash? Should the backing be quarter sawn or plain sawn? Thanks in advance for any advice that you can offer. This wood is too precious too waste. I want to try to do it up right.
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mikekeswick

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2012, 04:58:13 am »
Yew heartwood is definately good enough in tension to be a back of a selfbow but it's just the same as any other wood - aim for perfection if you don't want it to break eg follow one ring. Personally I would back it with hickory. Hickory works very well as a backing for yew. Again as with any backing strip the grain needs to be almost perfectly straight. Of course hickory can handle mild violation of grain due to the interlocking fibers but again aim for perfection - an extra few minutes searching for the best board is well worth it. Plain,quarter or rift sawn it doesn't make a blind bit of difference as long as the fibers are running the full length of the strip you won't have any problems.
Good luck.
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Offline Lil Bow Pete

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2012, 09:25:34 pm »
Thanks for your help. Straight grained hickory is hard to find in my nieborhood. Would ash work as backing?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2012, 09:28:30 pm »
The outside edges of those 2" boards should make good selfbows.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Lil Bow Pete

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2012, 12:06:47 am »
Pat B please explain what you mean by "outside edges".
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2012, 12:36:06 am »
If the log was cut into boards the edges of the boards should be the outside of the log.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2012, 12:30:01 am »

    Although there is a chance of chasing a ring on the back I would strongly suggest rawhide or wood backing!!! Can you find white oak??? It would make a good backing, as would edge grain ash. Yew unless it is low elevation is going to be VERY hard to follow a ring. Yew heartwood is NOT good in tension.

Brian
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Offline bcbull

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2012, 01:34:24 am »
pete like pat b says the out side one s i dont think ya need to back them iv made sevral heartwood bow s i love white oak or ash i my self would rather have white oak than
hickory on yew  you can also back them with goat rawhide silk even burlap would work but id use rawhide or silk brock
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2012, 02:14:28 am »
Bcbull,
                   Got pics of these unbacked heartwood bows??? :)
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Offline bcbull

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2012, 02:43:51 am »
vine maple i will see if i can get some pic s of them some of the guys i work with have some but most of em are backed with rawhide or white oak brock
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2012, 01:48:13 pm »
Ya, that would make sense. I have quite honestly never seen a all heartwood bow that was not backed. Yew without its sapwood in a natural state is not the strongest on the back. I would love to see some from anyone...in the 50-70lbs range.... :)
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Offline Bryce

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2012, 04:59:08 pm »
the heartwood will be suitable for a bow the longer yew sits the darker the heartwood gets. so 20 yrs?.....should be beautiful dark color.ij got some free yew once....a woodpecker had gotten to it and a couple of of inches under the sapwood was rotten or diseased idk but under that made some excellent bows. i know it sounds like a nightmare, but chase those rings. one stave took me 7 hrs. to chase but dang it was worth it (natives didnt use sapwood so neither will i ), it came out beautiful. shoots like a champ. unbacked heartwood yew is one of my favorites!

and yah throw some sinew cable on there and bam! you got my favorite bow of all time the Inuit bow. fast shooting, excellent cast. with variable draw weights.
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Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2012, 05:32:31 pm »
I am a bit confused, 2 posts saying unbacked yew bows are great...then tward then end you both refer to some sort of backing??? One of you mentions wood backing the other cable...can you Please be more specific on poundage, and whether they are backed or not? Thanks.

I am sure it would be possible to have a all heartwood bow....but if it was so popular why am I not seeing any...anywhere??? I have been building bows for 20 yrs, and have yet to see a bow on this board to my memory that is unbacked yew heart wood. Seriously I would like to see it.
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Offline Bryce

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2012, 06:16:13 pm »
Quote from: vinemaplebows on February 19, 2012, 05:32:31 pm
I am a bit confused, 2 posts saying unbacked yew bows are great...then tward then end you both refer to some sort of backing??? One of you mentions wood backing the other cable...can you Please be more specific on poundage, and whether they are backed or not? Thanks.

I am sure it would be possible to have a all heartwood bow....but if it was so popular why am I not seeing any...anywhere??? I have been building bows for 20 yrs, and have yet to see a bow on this board to my memory that is unbacked yew heart wood. Seriously I would like to see it.

i was saying that unbacked heart wood is great but sinew backed is always better lol. i have a few pics of some heartwood bows i could post later or something.
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Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline juniper junkie

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Re: Some questions for Yew
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2012, 12:05:59 am »
you could just back it with bamboo and not worry about it breaking. chasing a ring on yew is very difficult but if the rings are big enough it can be done. I would think that the bow of all heartwood would take quite a bit of set, but maybe not. would like to see how this progresses. keep us posted.
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