pacific yew hunting

[E. Jensen]

When you're ready to share, hit me up

[yew hunter]

Thanks for the replies, they are all valuable. My meeting with DC was very informative, I got some good advice. As for the twist, he basically told me to leave it alone. A bowyer  would like to know the twist is there before he/she starts working it, and if its to twisted it still makes good carving wood or fire wood. I was very surprised to see his bows because of the amount of defect in the wood he works around, such as pins, twist, and knots. If I ever do sell a bow stave i hope to be able to say for certain it will make a bow.

[DC]

These are the defects YH is referring to

[willie]

I have never split yew before, but the bow wood I use rarely splits straight if I start from one end of the log so I often saw it. I am not so sure that all woods have the same tendency to "follow the grain". some follow quite well, while with others the split tends to wander off especially around knots. If bowyers have been having success with staves that are ripped, then that might be an indication that the logs yielding poor staves with an uncontrolled split, may be usable if splits can be controlled. Different splitting techniques may help control the split better. splitting or riving with a froe was  a craft of its own back in the day.

http://www.craftsofnj.org/index.php/froes-by-hank-allen
 
thanks for doing your research with your intended market, hopefully you can produce a quality product. I know that I would like to get my hands on some good yew someday. With all that yew going into the woodstove, I would think that you have an opportunity to learn more about splitting yew than most guys would ever consider trying with that one piece that they bought.

[Lucasade]

I've been using froes this year to split firewood - lovely tool to use. Don't have access to one big enough for a 4" log but I've come to love my two Husqvana twisted wedges.

[E. Jensen]

If those are defects, please send to me for disposal!

[yew hunter]

   Every time i come across a yew log over 40 inches long I get out my axe head, 3lb mallet, and a bag full of fallers wedges and see how it follows the grain as it splits. That in itself is an interesting passtime trying to guess how its going to split out, and watching it "walk around knots" no two logs seem to be the same.
    I think it was in bowyers bible that talked about grain. I used to think about grain in only a two dimensional way - only growth ring count or tight or loose grain. I now see the grain as "straws in a tube" and as i see it a bowyer wants the straws in the bow complete from tip to tip, or else your backing it with something. The way I see the yew split by hand it appears to me it would be kind of a crap shoot to use a band saw and hope to not violate the grain structure. Thats why I thought you would hand split, straighten, then saw after you knew exactly how the grain ran in the wood. I will look into using a froe.
     DC's bows have alot of character - what I thought was defective wood in the yew I have been throwing away may not be so defective. I do look at it a little differently now.     

[WillS]

Something that might be worth noting is that while following the grain can be crucial in many woods, with yew you can very often violate it a huge amount with no problem.  I've got heavy yew warbows that I made from twisty, bendy staves that I just pretended were dead straight.  The grain swirls all over the place in some areas, and it doesn't affect the bow in the slightest.

I don't know how many other woods allow this but yew certainly does.  The only time I straighten a yew stave is if I can't realistically fit a straight line to it without it falling off the side.  Sometimes I'll be forced to make a layout that has some curves if there are big knots or the grain is worryingly crazy, but generally you can plough through snakey yew and not worry.

[yew hunter]

Thanks for the replies. There is alot more  to building a bow than I thought 10 months or so ago.... not your average wood working project.

[E. Jensen]

It might also be worth noting that yew has interlocking grain, which means it not only has spiral grain, but alternates the direction of the spiral.  This could make splitting problematic and not always the best approach.

[adb]

Thanks for the replies. There is alot more  to building a bow than I thought 10 months or so ago.... not your average wood working project.

Hi yew hunter. I have sent you a private message. Thanks.

[Del the cat]

Thanks for the replies. There is alot more  to building a bow than I thought 10 months or so ago.... not your average wood working project.

Amen!
We see a few newbies who think you can do it all by numbers
Del

[crooketarrow]

  I'm not a fan of heat except on none moveing parts ( handle,tips) About 15 years ago I started hading reflex to my staves. I've also hacheted the stave down to bow fourm and took our twists out green. No heat involed.

 Before anyone says he's just never heated limbs to know the difference.. I've made more fire wood way more than I'd like to tell you. From heating limbs.

  Say what you'd like but if you really shoot and use a bow( a limb heated bow). I'll never out last a bow that never been heated. Not saying you can make nice heat make bows 1000's built every year.

  I just don't heat limbs unless I have to. Which is never it I can work around it.

[yew hunter]

Thanks for the reply crooketarrow. From all the info I have gathered about collecting and processing yew staves, I have learned that a bowyer wants a stave that has not been modified in any way, shape, or form. I have also recently learned that if you dont take your time while trying to make a yew bow you end up heating the house with it 

[Marc St Louis]

  I'm not a fan of heat except on none moveing parts ( handle,tips) About 15 years ago I started hading reflex to my staves. I've also hacheted the stave down to bow fourm and took our twists out green. No heat involed.

 Before anyone says he's just never heated limbs to know the difference.. I've made more fire wood way more than I'd like to tell you. From heating limbs.

  Say what you'd like but if you really shoot and use a bow( a limb heated bow). I'll never out last a bow that never been heated. Not saying you can make nice heat make bows 1000's built every year.

  I just don't heat limbs unless I have to. Which is never it I can work around it.

That is your opinion but heat has been used on bow wood for thousands of years so that says something