Deflex in yew stave and how to get it out?

[Weylin]

You could leave some localised deflex in the middle and steam (or dry heat) a nice long gentle recurve into each limb. Ideal bow
The benefit is you don't bust a gut trying to bend the thick handle section!
Del

this is what I would do. I know you wanted to get a an ELB out of the stave but one of the realities of making self bows is that sometimes you have to do what the stave is telling you. It's not to say that you can't make an ELB out of that deflexed stave but I think that deflex will be fighting you the whole way. It won't want to stay gone, even if you manage to straighten it out. I would do like Del says and make a nice deflex/reflex, it will be a sweet bow.

[HoorayHorace]

77 inches of yew is too much wood to waste for a reflex/deflex bow

[HoorayHorace]

It's all one big challenging business this bow making, but I like it.

[WillS]

I've never - and I mean never - had any luck heating deflex out of a yew stave.  It always comes back once you start bending it.  A very small area is fine, as you can use steam or dry heat and pop the deflex out quite easily, but if the stave is deflexed all over, or it's a long gentle curve somewhere you need to think of a different approach to getting a good bow.

Not all yew is good for a classic English longbow.  Wood is wood, and it's always different.  You learn pretty quickly when you make self bows that you really can't force a bow design onto a piece of wood - you HAVE to let the wood dictate what happens.  If your stave has lots of deflex, you'll need to accept that and work with it. 

The risk is using steam or dry heat and cranking the deflex out, only to have it either break on you because it's been over-stressed the wrong way or the amount of heat required was too much (easy mistake when you're just starting out!) or to have all the deflex come straight back the minute it's on the tiller, only to find that you've roughed out the bow too close to final dimensions to get anything else out of it.  The last thing you want is to have a deflexed yew stave with no extra thickness at the tips for initial recurving, and you'll just end up with a deflexed longbow.  Not good.

Some deflex is fine, but it will get worse as you tiller (depending how experienced you are, it could get a lot worse!) and you'll never be happy with it afterwards.

Like you said, 77 inches of yew is too good to waste - so don't waste it by chasing a design that doesn't work.  Make a stunning deflex/reflex bow that hits hard and looks perfect, and wait until you find a more suitable piece of yew for a longbow. 

[HoorayHorace]

I've never - and I mean never - had any luck heating deflex out of a yew stave.  It always comes back once you start bending it.  A very small area is fine, as you can use steam or dry heat and pop the deflex out quite easily, but if the stave is deflexed all over, or it's a long gentle curve somewhere you need to think of a different approach to getting a good bow.

Not all yew is good for a classic English longbow.  Wood is wood, and it's always different.  You learn pretty quickly when you make self bows that you really can't force a bow design onto a piece of wood - you HAVE to let the wood dictate what happens.  If your stave has lots of deflex, you'll need to accept that and work with it. 

The risk is using steam or dry heat and cranking the deflex out, only to have it either break on you because it's been over-stressed the wrong way or the amount of heat required was too much (easy mistake when you're just starting out!) or to have all the deflex come straight back the minute it's on the tiller, only to find that you've roughed out the bow too close to final dimensions to get anything else out of it.  The last thing you want is to have a deflexed yew stave with no extra thickness at the tips for initial recurving, and you'll just end up with a deflexed longbow.  Not good.

Some deflex is fine, but it will get worse as you tiller (depending how experienced you are, it could get a lot worse!) and you'll never be happy with it afterwards.

Like you said, 77 inches of yew is too good to waste - so don't waste it by chasing a design that doesn't work.  Make a stunning deflex/reflex bow that hits hard and looks perfect, and wait until you find a more suitable piece of yew for a longbow.

Thank you WillS. Part of me does think that wood would be hard to make lasting changes.

So you are suggesting that I should leave in the deflex and recurve the tips?

[WillS]

I've got zero experience in recurve bows, so I'd suggest reading what the others have said and following their advice.  I just know from plenty of (painful) experience that trying to fit an ideal bow into an stave suitable for something else never works out properly. 

You may well get the deflex out, and you may well be able to keep it out.  I've never been able to do it, and I guess the question to ask yourself is whether you want to learn how to use heat and steam and bending on what would appear to be a fairly expensive and special piece of yew, or whether you want to use that piece of wood to make the best bow possible.

P.S. If you're buying a stave on eBay from BurlQuilt (Medicine Bow Woods) be very, very careful.  It's usually a load of rubbish, and won't be seasoned anywhere near the length he says it is.  If you're getting it from somebody else, ignore the above and crack on

[HoorayHorace]

I didn't get it from the guy you mention on ebay. He wants like 400 large for a fresh cut bit of wood, and each piece looks like it's been dragged through a hedge or something. 

My only real interest/experience is longbows after getting a replica medieval arrow a few years back. No rush. Will have to ponder it.

[WillS]

I know the feeling.  It's all I'm interested in as well

One option is to leave it - there's always yew around, and perhaps spending money on a stave not suited to longbows is a bad move?  Hang onto the cash, add a bit here and there and soon you may be able to spend a bit more on a perfect longbow stave?

[HoorayHorace]

From looking carefully, the limbs are straight but the bend is in the handle/mid section.

When it comes to traditional archery for me, it is all about longbows and nothing else. I can only draw around 80 pounds right now.

[bradsmith2010]

i have not worked with yew,,, but in the other woods I have worked with ,, trying to take out deflex in a working part of the limb is very difficult,, but in the non working tip,, or handle section it can be done ..

[bubby]

Have you already got the stave, your set on an elb mabe if it's a quality stave you can trade it for a more suitable stave for your build

[wizardgoat]

i just worked a yew stave recently, had about 2.5" of deflex over 68". i cooked it for well over an hour on my 4"reflex caul and it kept about 2.5" of reflex.
i thought i nailed it, but after tillering and shooting, took about 3" of set. the tips are behind the handle about 1/2" all said and done. its a very nice shooting bow

[Del the cat]

I've found that with some Yew just heat bending may not be enough, but heat bending and heat treating the belly combined will hold position much better.

@Wizardgoat....
Not sure I understand how "The tips are 1/2" behind the handle" (not quite sure what that means) equates to 3" of set?
To me that sounds like you have (over all) gone from 2.5" of deflex to 0.5"... which is minus 2" of set.
Del

[PEARL DRUMS]

Ive tried to fight deflex out of yew before, its not easily done and it seems to go almost back to where it started. With yew, I prefer to build the bow around the stave rather than trying to conform the stave to my ideas. Working on a yew R/D now actually. The "D" is staying put. Here are before and after pics. Pretty easy manipulation with only half the limb needing moved.

[Del the cat]

That's a great shape Pearlie
Del