Yew Stave

[bigcountry]

You know guys, I worried about nothing.  I just whittled down just a hair, and they disappeared. 

[juniper junkie]

the side view you showed with the crack looks like "windshake" this occurs when the tree has been damaged by high winds or snow load, it usually has a dark area around it where the growth rings seperated. I would look to see how deep in this is and maybe drawknife down past it. it can act like delaminating because there is seperation. need maybe a closer pic.

[radius]

glad those cracks disappeared for you, bud.  That looks like a fairly straight stave, no?  Should make a doozy!

[shamus]

Good to hear there's a solution to your problem.

That looks like some low altitude, low density yew. You'll have to keep that it mind as you match the right design for it.

[bigcountry]

looks like some low altitude, low density yew. You'll have to keep that it mind as you match the right design for it.

He said it was cut about 5000ft.  I guess for yew, thats low.  What do you mean by design?  You think its goin to be weak?  I might have to make the limbs wider?

[shamus]

I may be wrong. It's just that the rings-per-inch count seemed on the low side.

With lower density yew, just make the bow a bit wider, limbs flat. no problems.

[bigcountry]

I may be wrong. It's just that the rings-per-inch count seemed on the low side.

With lower density yew, just make the bow a bit wider, limbs flat. no problems.

Yea, I was counting, and onlylike 20 rings/inch.  Figured I would play around with it.  Get some good experience from it.

[shamus]

Design considerations:

I believe you draw 29" and shoot 55#?

For 55# @ 29":

Flatbow:  68" long. 1.5"-1.75" at the widest point with a gradual width taper to 3/8 at the nocks. (see TBB1: same design, but this one is wider to compensate for the lower density yew).

D bow: 66" long, 1.5" wide in the middle portion, tapering to 3/8" at the ends. Bend-though-the-handle or semi-bendy handle (D bow), FLAT belly. The D bow could be shorter (64") but I'd try for 66".

If thinning the sapwood, I'd back the bow with rawhide for insurance. They say you can violate the sapwood rings on yew, but I'd error on the side of caution and back the bow.

Every piece of wood is different, and there's more than one way to skin the cat. This is just what I would do If I had that stave. It's certainly not the only way.

Good luck!
 

[bigcountry]

Design considerations:

Thanks a bunch.  Really helpful.  I have a bunch of sinew.  I got to pound it.  I was thinking of thin rawhide (if I can find it) or make it.  Or sinew.

Someone said I could used sturgeon if I could find some but I never tried.

[shamus]

your welcome.

Sinew makes a good backing, but the bow may be too long for it. Sinew adds a lot of mass and this does not work well for long bows. Also, sinew is very labor intensive, but for a short bow it works well.

Rawhide would be better. Rawhide backing is sold from 3Rivers archery (an advertiser here) for $24 dollars. If you want to go cheap...you can use a large rawhide dog bone. Soak the bone, unwrap it, and you'll have enough rawhide to back a bow (I did this once). The rawhide is thick though, so you'll have to thin it. Better just to order rawhide via 3Rivers. Their rawhide will be thin enough, and ready to go.

[YewArcher]

One note on the sinew. You often here that sinew is not good for long bows. I would say that that is true if you layed 3 corses of thick sinew the entire lenght of the bow. However, you you concentrate your sinew in the working portion of the limb then you are doing nothing but benifitting the bow. Just dont run it heavily to the tips and you will be suprised at how nice of a bow you can produce. Lenght and sinew is not bad if applied properly. Its avtually quite a good combination. There was a feller on this board who sinewed a yew elb around 18 months ago. It turned out to light for him or something and he had some sinew so gave it a go. If I rember corectly the masses came out and hollered at him for sinewing a long bow. He however was happy with the result as he had sinwed it properly for a long bow. I do not rember who or when that was but maybe the culprit will speak up and link us to the thred.

Sinew is good on any bow if applied properly. We always defer it to short bows because of the extreme things that can be done with the combination but it will do allot for other designs as well.

SJM

[YewArcher]

One further note on the ring count. Any yew is good bow wood. I would rather work a yew bow with 20 ring count then a priemum osage stave any day.

The best bow I have made to date is a 66" yew D bow that has 20 RPI. It is 65@030" (I have drawn it to 32").......and after a havey day of shooting still bounces back to straight. Meaning took 1" of set. Its an incerdable bow.

On the same note I have made yew elbs that have had 40 rpi that do not compare. Its a toss up.

You can get a great bow ut of that stave.

SJM

[bigcountry]

Now, I have gotten past this check issue now, I have started examineing the stave some more trying to plan to lay it out to bandsaw.  Now, I have these windshake damages that someone mentioned.  Overall, doesn't appear to a good stave.  Guess I will ahve to just cut and see.

[radius]

yes, but cut and let US see!