Rudderbows warbow inquiry- wood type? also, string/arrows [BETTER PICS ADDED!!!]

[nineworlds9]

About a month ago I got ahold of a Rudderbows EWB...76" rated 90-100@33" (I scaled it and it pulls about 75@28")  The seller described it as yew belly,ipe core, hickory back and at the time I went along with that because I was not so familiar with yew.

Well, I have become more familiar with yew and its characteristics and coloration.  I have since theorized that the belly couldn't possibly be yew, unless it was sapwood, it is a creamy color, not the characteristic orangey red.  The core is definitely ipe and the back looks just like hickory.

The belly has similar ringyness and grain as yew, but like I said is creamy beige, almost as light as the hickory back (which has dead straight grain)

Could the belly be lemonwood or maple? 

Anyway, the bow has a 20 strand black Dacron string and let me just say it is a DOG...cast sucks.  The bow only has about 1.5" of set, so that part is ok, but I really think the "rope-like" string has GOT to go, I really think it's too stretchy and heavy, and is slowing the bow way down.  I've commissioned a 14 strand D-10 fastflight for it and I am really hoping this will make a huge difference in the cast. 

Another thing related to the cast issue aside from the B50 string is likely my current use of weighted carbon arrows...I weight them with plastic coated wire clothesline, but honestly they're still too light I believe for this bow when pulling 28" or more on the draw.  From a physics standpoint I'm sure they're not absorbing enough of the bows energy, which in part besides the mega crap 20 strand string is likely causing the crappy cast.  I have proper heavy warbow arrows on the way from a fletcher friend...hoping those help.

Thoughts on the wood?- would yew used for a belly on a warbow be creamy like the sapwood??? Or is it likely lemonwood/maple and the seller was gravely mistaken? 

Thankfully I got a deal on the bow.  Can't wait to try it with the D10 string and warbow arrows.


Scroll toward end of thread to view some of the pics I have.  They are photos from the ad when I bought it, all I have on my phone right now.  Promise to upload some better ones that I take myself tomorrow when I get home. 

****BETTER PICS UPLOADED, SEE 2ND PAGE OF THREAD. 

[ionicmuffin]

post some pics, within a day or two we will have it identified

[nineworlds9]

Ok I'll post some pics ASAP

[WillS]

I'm certainly no expert, but for what it's worth, I have a heavy warbow (90#) with a 20 strand Dacron B50 string which I made myself (in fact it was one of the first bowstrings I ever made, so it's not exactly perfect) and the cast is superb.  I can only just draw it to my full 29" draw to rattle off a shot or two, but in the hands of more experienced archers it flicks arrows out like a machine.  I would be very surprised if changing the string would affect the cast that much.  It's far more likely an inherent issue within the bow itself, not the string.

Also, I've made (and broken!) quite a few yew longbows with very pale heartwood.  I'm sure most bowyers on here who have worked with more than a few pieces of yew will have found the mysterious "not-sure-what-I-am" heartwood / sapwood, where nothing is quite what it seems to be! 

[nineworlds9]

Perhaps some of the cast issue lies in my having only used the bow for target shooting as of yet..and only drawing it to 28-29"...it pulls around 75 at this draw length, but maybe the limbs aren't working enough at that point?  Maybe it really does need to be drawn to 33" as it is rated.  The warbow arrows and new string will be here soon so those should help answer some questions for me. 

[ionicmuffin]

thats something ive noticed, if you short draw a HEAVY bow, you will often find that it gets a bit sluggish, plus if you dont have 800-1000 grain arrows, then your cast isnt going to go as far.

[nineworlds9]

thats something ive noticed, if you short draw a HEAVY bow, you will often find that it gets a bit sluggish, plus if you dont have 800-1000 grain arrows, then your cast isnt going to go as far.

Sounds like I'm on the right track then.  The new warbow arrows on the way are 34" with 190g points.  The silly carbons I've been shooting to tide me over are only 29.5" with 175g up front and clothesline inside, probably barely 550-600g total. 

[ionicmuffin]

to me, if you can get arrows close to 10grains per pound of draw, then your cast will be optimal, thats what ive seemed to have noticed, granted the spine will probably be nice too, and that counts for accuracy, but the weight should help transfer energy into the arrow and allow it to travel with more energy, which should translate to a better cast.

[nineworlds9]

Here are three pics showing the layers of the bow and the belly in question.  They are photos from the ad when I bought it, all I have on my phone right now.  I promise to actually take some better ones myself tomorrow.  Perhaps we can at least get the ball rolling on the wood ID process.  Still having trouble believing the belly is yew, but who knows...

[ionicmuffin]

i agree with you, all the yew ive seen has a LARGE number of rings, this one has so few. also, it just doesnt look like it. it could be maple, beech, or something like that.

[seabass]

it looks like mine.it is bamboo over ipe with a hickory belly.i may be wrong but my rudder bow has this combo of woods.

[nineworlds9]

it looks like mine.it is bamboo over ipe with a hickory belly.i may be wrong but my rudder bow has this combo of woods.

Thanks for chiming in.  I know it may look like it in those photos, but the back is definitely not bamboo.  The back is hickory, I am certain of it.  The grain,texture, and color of the back is consistent with hickory, with no knots or bumps of any kind.  Yes, core is ipe.  The wood in question is the belly.  I have learned that Jim Boswell did not always use the same combo of woods when he built these bows.  The seller who sold me this bow indicated he bought it from another guy who bought it direct from Jim some time ago, so it is not one of the offerings from say 3Rivers or Kustom King. 

Tomorrow I will upload better closeup pics that I've actually taken myself, promise.

[WillS]

Yeah you can get pale yew, but that ain't yew.  Could it also be hickory on the belly?

[nineworlds9]

Will, the thought of double hickory had occurred to me.  I was hesitant to say yes because while the back's grain is almost dead straight, the belly's is very wavy/irregular and a different shade of cream.  Stay tuned for more pics.

[seabass]

i bought my bow direct from Jim.it is probably double hickory.Jim makes bows at a reasonable price.i don't think he would include yew unless the buyer wanted a custom bow.yew is very expensive and hickory is one of Jims main bow woods.i ordered mine with a bamboo backing instead of hickory.