Author Topic: Del's 130# Yew Warbow  (Read 11931 times)

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Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2013, 08:04:15 am »
@Will
Good point on the silk!
I think a correctly spined well made arrow would be fine... but of course there is no evidence that arrows were spined for specific bows. Dunno if they even had got to grips with the concept of spine, as most longbows above say 50# will shoot just about anything, especially with a long draw.
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Bearded bowyer

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2013, 12:57:56 pm »
Its a shame that when you were up on the roof cutting the yew, you didn't accidentally 'discover' some other damage to the other trees...... ;)

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #17 on: November 22, 2013, 01:24:46 pm »
Its a shame that when you were up on the roof cutting the yew, you didn't accidentally 'discover' some other damage to the other trees...... ;)
I had to submit photos and stuff in triplicate (I jest ye not!) My son suggested I photoshop some 'damage' onto any suitable limbs >:D
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #18 on: November 22, 2013, 03:01:54 pm »
Its a shame that when you were up on the roof cutting the yew, you didn't accidentally 'discover' some other damage to the other trees...... ;)
I had to submit photos and stuff in triplicate (I jest ye not!) My son suggested I photoshop some 'damage' onto any suitable limbs >:D
Del

You gotta do what ya gotta do. A couple years ago, every time it would storm real bad, before it hit I would go out and get ready cutting some bow wood. My first reason is that the wind of the storm when it came would help me bring the tree down, and help it from getting stuck up in the branches, etc. My other reason was that some of the places I was cutting bow wood were kind of,.. "iffy"...  (  :) ),... and I figured people would think the tree was falling from the storm as trees sometimes do during heavy storms, instead of some lunatic out in the woods pilfering trees in the middle of a storm,  :o. My third reason was that cutting bow wood in a storm is just fun.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Bearded bowyer

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #19 on: November 22, 2013, 04:31:51 pm »
Cutting bow wood in a storm...........what a safe idea  ::)

Offline meanewood

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #20 on: November 25, 2013, 06:12:06 am »
Safe!
Safe doesn't come into it. When my 130 lb baby exploded on me after stinging it, I realised this can be a dangerous obsession.

Offline doulosparachristos

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #21 on: November 28, 2013, 04:26:43 am »
lol, what an addiction we all have!
Philippians 3: 7-11

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #22 on: November 29, 2013, 03:01:54 am »
Looks like the real thing to me...
Frank from Germany...

mikekeswick

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #23 on: November 30, 2013, 03:46:00 am »
Screw safe....what about fun! If I had to be 'safe' all the time life would be mighty boring  ;) Bring on the storms!
I made an ipe/hickory bow for a chap once who insisted on using heavy nylon soaked in superglue to wrap his fletches on....when I saw the bow a few months later the bindings had cut into the bow by 1/16th.......and that was ipe.....

Anyroad nice bow Del.

Offline Robby101

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #24 on: December 01, 2013, 09:14:05 am »
Beautifully done, warms my heart! Do you catalog all the yew trees in your area that may be available? That is quite a find. I would have been hard pressed not to take another one too, but in the end I would take what is available and be happy with it.
Robby

Offline bowmo

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #25 on: December 05, 2013, 01:53:27 pm »
Pretty darn awesome. I would need another set of arms to pull that thing.

Offline meanewood

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #26 on: December 05, 2013, 06:10:43 pm »
Great bow Del

The real enjoyment comes from the whole process. Find the tree, get it anyway you can, then turn it into a thing of such beauty with the risk of failure hanging over every move.

I don't know how you can possibly part with it!

About that 'reflex that develops' as the stave dries. Would it not be brought back to the original trunk shape soon into tillering. I've noticed this seems to be the case with the woods I have used?

Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Del's 130# Yew Warbow
« Reply #27 on: December 05, 2013, 06:24:35 pm »
There is a local Yew Forest near me ( about 3 miles) and iv'e been given permision to help myself :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:, the area is fenced off and is on a steepish slope. spotted some nice straight bits not sure about heart / sap. only one way to find out  :P

@ Del if it's any good ill try get some to you.  ;) and it turned out great! loved the buildalong
London, England.

45#@28"