Heat treating yew, another pair of tiller eyes please.

[dwardo]

Quick update.

Heat treated the bow over the weekend and started to play with it now its rested.
Well the same old results from every heat treat, brilliant as usual. Now its not a bow yet but the usual heat advantages were there. String follow gone, picked up quite a few lbs now removed and gave a little more "zing" is the best word i have now.

Braced here. Had it out to about 20 inches and still showing no follow. Bit more wood to remove yet to cure some flat spots and it bring it down to a managable poundage for me or it will never see any use.

Heat treat was about half hour per limb and as Del says only a slight colour change in the heartwood was as far as i went but made up for it in heating time and hopefuly depth of effect. Will keep you all posted once i get a few more inches our of her.

[Del the cat]

Lookin' good   
Del

[dwardo]

Bit more playing today and its out to 21 inch.
Its taking about half inch of set from flat so I am gonna got at it with the heat again tomorrow before taking out the last few flat spots,  hopefuly getting out to 28 slowly.

Not a lot of heartwood left at all so if nawt else its an experiment in heat and yew sapwood.

[dwardo]

Yes another heat treat and at the same time hopefuly removing a bit of limb twist.

[dwardo]

Decided on yet another heat treat.
This is out to 27 inches and is about 55lbs. Shot her in about 20 or so arrows and its settling at flat. Shoots very hard and fast but it seems right on the edge so i expect it to take maybe an inch or so of set yet. The flipped tips should stave off the followif it does.
Just need to remove a buch of mass from the tips and check again. There are two knots in the top limb and a bucnh of bumps all over so we will see

[Qwill]

I've also had good luck heat treating yew. I've heat treated longbows and short, sinew-backed bows. I think it really improves the bow myself, but again I tend to use a "faster" heat treatment method, and I suspect this works on some woods better than others. I think heat treating would make a screaming bamboo backed yew bow, though.

[dwardo]

I've also had good luck heat treating yew. I've heat treated longbows and short, sinew-backed bows. I think it really improves the bow myself, but again I tend to use a "faster" heat treatment method, and I suspect this works on some woods better than others. I think heat treating would make a screaming bamboo backed yew bow, though.

It does seem to work well so far.

A few more bowyers eyes would not go a miss please as i just cant put this one to bed and finish it up
Out to 28 at 55 lbs. Its 60 ntn and lays flat on its belly, flipped tips up after a few minutes.

[dwardo]

Mods remove please mistake 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Perfect. Its hard to see with those now popular circles drawn though.

[Del the cat]

Sweet, you can see as it's coming back further the tiller is getting more circular.
Please send it to me for detailed analysis
Del

[dwardo]

Sweet, you can see as it's coming back further the tiller is getting more circular.
Please send it to me for detailed analysis
Del

Good stuff, think a few scrapes right in the top fade and I cant put off finishing it anymore. 
I did the heat treat on this just as you suggested, with only a light colour change but prolonged time under the gun.

Perfect. Its hard to see with those now popular circles drawn though.

Cheers PD,
I know the circles can be off putting but i find they are handy as a second set of eyes. I find it pretty hard besides posting on here to get another opinion other than my own as i have never met another bowyer before, let along held another self bow or even seen on in the flesh!

Will get it finisehd up soon and the FD will be circle free

[PEARL DRUMS]

I was just giving you a hard time dwardo, no problems here. Your handle section is staying perfectly stiff. Thats going to be a great bow. I wouldnt mind finished dimesnions when your complete. I have a perfect yew log that was gifted to me and I have been collecting yew knowledge since last August. I want to treat it right.

What part of the world do you call home?

[dwardo]

I was just giving you a hard time dwardo, no problems here. Your handle section is staying perfectly stiff. Thats going to be a great bow. I wouldnt mind finished dimesnions when your complete. I have a perfect yew log that was gifted to me and I have been collecting yew knowledge since last August. I want to treat it right.

What part of the world do you call home?

I live near a place called Chester which is on the border between North Wales and England UK.
I have some very snakey yew staves to go at soon but they are taking an age to dry, much slower thatn their whitewood counterparts. I also have one that is very weak right at the handle so will be looking for ideas there.
I sometimes seemt o suffer from bowyers block, dont know why but it means i just cant finish a bow so this helps thanks.

[Pappy]

Looks very good to me,I would call that one done. Nice job.
   Pappy

[mikekeswick]

Nice bow from that piece of wood!
I have tried heat treating quite a few times with English yew and my experience is that it helps no end. I've just made a 90# @ 30 English yew longbow that sits perfectly straight after a few hours shooting. I got it to about 20 inch or so just when it was starting to take a  little set. Then heat treated to a light/medium brown and induced 1 inch of reflex as it had a roller coster lower limb and didn't feel like it needed any more.
Maybe the denser American yew doesn't benefit so much?
If i'm ever down your way it would be good to meet up. I'll bring a few bows for you to look at