Author Topic: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB  (Read 6385 times)

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Offline Del the cat

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Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« on: November 12, 2015, 12:26:38 pm »
This Yew was a nightmare. The log had been supposedly seasoned for 3 years, I sawed the cleanest most reflex half of the log, but it was like limp celery, the reflex rapidly pulled out to become deflex and one end felt damp under the drawknife. I steamed it, heat treated it, stuck it on a radiator and did all sorts. Despite being a reasonable size log the central pith was rather close to the clean face. On the top limb there are two big knots coming out the side.
Here's a link to me talking about it on Youtube:-
https://youtu.be/DXsgUfNAqP0
There are other videos of it work in progress on there.
Here's a post on my blog showing some of the tricky features.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/knotty-yew-longbow-detail.html
The leather for the grip is from a ship that went down in 1786! See this post:-
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/knotty-yew-full-draw.html
It's for a left hander, so there is masking tape round it above the grip where I've been shooting it in right handed.

74 1/4 ntn   76 1/4 ttt
50# at 28" but the guy who I'm making it for wants to be able to take it to 32" for roving shoots (I haven't taken it to 32" yet, I'm reluctant as it may only get taken to 30-31)
I've left it long and allowed some deflex at the grip to allow for the 32" draw requirement.
Del
PS I've added a pic that shows how there's a knot either side on that upper limb. It's two separate knots which come out from the centre.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2015, 02:56:02 am by Del the cat »
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Offline DC

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2015, 12:32:44 pm »
Very nice Del, I always enjoy your bows. The leather is very cool. That top knot would give me the willies but I'll be a little braver now that I've seen it done.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2015, 12:47:35 pm »
Cheers.
Jamie (Ravenbeak) saw the stave as I was working on it while he was over here.
Be interesting to hear his take on it.
Del
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2015, 01:37:01 pm »
She looks good in the pic Del. What is the draw weight?
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2015, 01:43:38 pm »
A whisker over 50# at 28"
It's made for a guy who wants it to be capable of pulling to 32" (I suspect he'll only pull about 30-31")
It's at about 29.5" in that pic.
I'll add some stats to the post.
Del
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Offline simson

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2015, 02:05:08 pm »
Del, looks nice to me. But, hard to tell without unbraced, braced pics -  so don't be that lazy show us whole beauty. 8) 8) 8)

I'm interested how you position your bows on the tree, I assume it is the pivot point on the bridge and finger position at string. Do you watch the height of the tips when pulling or do you not worry about that and let the bow balance out?

This bow is assymmetrical (as it should), how much positive tiller did you?

I'm visiting your site from time to time, thanks for doing such great info!
Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2015, 03:18:48 pm »
If you look at the youtube vid you'll see the unbraced, and the braced etc is on the blog...
It's all there linked in the original post.
You want me to come over there and click on 'em for you? ;)
..OK here you are... just copied off the blog
Del
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Offline sieddy

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2015, 05:49:14 pm »
That looks like a grand bit of wood to me.Seems like you're making a load of fuss over nothing!  :P
"No man ever broke his bow but another man found a use for the string" Irish proverb

Offline Bryce

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2015, 05:51:42 pm »
Very nice mr. Cat 8)
Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2015, 06:28:14 pm »
Beauty! Gotta love a little character in yew.
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline wizardgoat

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2015, 07:15:43 pm »
Slick stick Del!

Offline Cloudfeather

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2015, 07:29:41 pm »
Very nice, love the contrast of yew sapwood and heartwood. Speaking of, I was looking at a big auction site at some yew staves and saw some staves that looked to me like mid-grade at about 45 plus shipping. Any suggestions on what to look for as far as sapwood thickness, ring ratio, etc? Thanks.

Offline Aaron H

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2015, 07:47:42 pm »
Very cool Del, I would like to see some close ups of that leather, or is that in the link also?  ;)

Offline dylanholderman

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2015, 07:59:28 pm »
Nice work del, I have been following this on and off on your blog glade to see you got it behave  :)
And that leather is pretty wild, I never would have thought that a piece of hide that old would still be usable at all :o

riverrat

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Re: Del's Latest Knotty Yew ELB
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2015, 08:37:39 pm »
nice bow, nice tiller. Tony