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Think I've found me a warbow stave...

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Lucasade:
... cut yesterday from an ancient yew in a Birmingham churchyard, not imported from Italy/Spain/inaccessible yew habitat halfway up a lofty mountain that gets 1cm of rain a decade.  >:D

Anyway, pictures...







It's currently 82" long and thicker than my arm. After I've cut out the bad bit I should still have just over 75". Question is, do I risk splitting it or should I cut it? I don't have a bandsaw (and they aren't very medieval anyway) so what sort of saw is best?

mikekeswick:
A bandsaw! Good luck with anything else...
I wouldn't try to split it.
The end grain picture of the upper half shows some dodgy wood. I would cut any excess length off that end for certain and hope you get rid of the rotten black wood and the very dodgy sapwood/heartwood that is going on there at the same time. The bottom end grain picture looks ok so you have a chance.
The real problem I see is the non-straightness of it and the large knots. It also looks like it wa a branch and the cleanest section of it is from the side of the branch eg. it's not compression or tension wood alone..wood from the side of a branch will almost certainly warp as it dries and then again when you try to bend it....

Del the cat:
+1 on bandsaw.
Spend plenty of time looking at it before you saw.
I'd say leave full length and plenty of width, don't be in a hurry to reduce it, just get it down to a half log and seal the ends. You can cut the end off later and bear in mind the tip of a bow doesn't need much wood and once it's cut off you can't put it back on.
Prob' need some straightening, but I've seen plenty worse!
Del

Lucasade:
The branch was growing down at about 45 degrees - the underside is completely clean but would be deflexed, the topside has the two whacking great knots and the dead wood but the tips and handle are in line, and it would have natural reflex which you've previously said makes tillering harder. Could I put the bottom side on a former to season so it straightens out?

I'll have to ask around to see if anyone I know has a bandsaw I guess.

WillS:
You could split it if you were careful.  Just take some time to work out the best place to start it.  If you put an axe in at various places along the line you want, on both sides of the log it will usually split down that line. 

In an ideal world, you want the wood that was growing on the topside of the branch.  That's the tension wood, and will have tighter grain and will (usually) make a better bow.  The bottom side is compression wood, and will be more coarse.  That said, quite often wood surprises you and you can get some superb bows from compression wood.  Might not make a fantastic warbow however.  You'll need to decide whether you work towards a heavy weight or not before you crack on with it.

You could use a former - I don't know how well that will work.  You're probably better letting it season naturally, then straightening later.  I've heard of a method (can't remember where) of taking a fresh, unseasoned stave and cutting the belly taper first before the width and letting it season like that.  Apparently it will pull itself straight or into reflex as it dries.  Could be complete garbage though, so possibly worth trying on something less valuable...!

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