what would be best thing to do with this yew

[danny f]

hi there, i have managed to get this yew log which was cut in december but left where it was, i split it the other week and it split perfectly in half, but i was wondering if i shold split it again or wait until i get a bandsaw and try to get 3 staves from each length. they are 73"long and about 7"wide, there is some damage to the bark in places and probably the sapwood too . i dont want to ruin it by being greedy but dont want to waste it either if i can get a few staves from it. also it has lots of humps and bumps on it.  what do you yew experts think??

[BOWMAN53]

The best possible thing to do with that is to send it to me 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Slat it up and make backed bows Danny. That's my vote.

[WillS]

I'm usually against ripping yew staves into boards, but I'm with PD on this, for sure.  Just looking at that bark gives me jitters - you'll be in for a huge challenge if you try and lay out self bows on those logs.

If you're lucky you might get one bow per half log there, but you'll still be fighting those ugly lumps and bark damage which often goes deeper than you expect!

[blackhawk]

Tough call cus I see some beayewtiful gnarly yew self bows in there..and yes they wood be a challenge....a couple might be better off as flat bow types...there might be one elb in that...wish I could see em in person cus then I'd know what to do for sure..everyone who's commented is just a guess at best honestly....yew is some tough wood and can handle some serious nastiness,and when you pull it off will make a jaw dropper with drool

[Bryce]

Split into staves and make some bows. The sapwood looks healthy enough for some absolutely beautiful character bows. I would kill for the one on the right

[blackhawk]

Here's a couple good references in what your in for with self bows...and I'm sure del will be chiming in soon ....sweet bows

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=38588.0

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=26498.0

[Zion]

Here's a bow i made outa a piece of yew most would call sh*** but yew's really tough, it's very hard to break even a half-decayed yew bow, that's what my experience has been at least. I would go for some selfbows.

[danny f]

cheers everyone,i would love to make a nice character bow especially in yew. so i may split one, and see what i get.and maybe leave the other until later. if i do split should i go for one split down the centre or try for 2 splits?

[danny f]

i was also wondering what a heartwood only yew bow would be like. if i removed sapwood and chased a ring. does anyone have any links to any? or would it be better backed?

[Bryce]

i was also wondering what a heartwood only yew bow would be like. if i removed sapwood and chased a ring. does anyone have any links to any? or would it be better backed?

I've seen highly violated all yew heartwood bow 5 1/2' long recurved pulled 70#+
Made by Chester Stevenson.
The bow was not much to look at but functional, and beautiful in it own way.

Carson was with me but I think he was blind sides by another bow or 6

[danny f]

cheers for that bryce, i wouldn't of thought you could violate the heartwood with out backing. just goes to show how tough  it really is.

[Joec123able]

I'd split them again and make self bows myself don't see nothing wrong with that, the fun in bow making is the challenges and the fact that no two bows are the same

[danny f]

well i decided to to take the risk and be greedy, i split the right hand log into 3 staves. they have some lumps and bumps and they will have some wiggly backs, maybe abit to hard for me just yet. they split pretty straight though which is good. i have also posted pics of 2 more half logs from the same tree they are 54"long and are very clean and straight i was thinking of maybe splitting them both again and splicing them together to get 2 longbows from them.

[danny f]