Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Yew self-bow (not a war bow) in the cold?
Russ:
the colder something gets the stiffer it becomes. the warmer it gets the looser it becomes. thats with basically all things in the world. my guess is that yew is more sensitive to it than other woods.
Strelets:
Willie asked "How much time was there between measurements, and did you do the colder measurement first?"
30 January 2018. Temperature not recorded but probably about 5 to 10C. 67 lb at 27".
25 May 2018. 19C. 64 lb at 27".
15 July 2018. 27C. 60lb at 27".
20 December 2018. 10C. 67lb at 27".
Because of these results I now always record the temperature whenever I measure a bow's draw-weight.
27C (81F) used to count as "very hot" in southern England, but now is becoming much more frequent. Winters are becoming warmer, wetter and windier.
.
willie:
Strelets,
thats quite a spread in a half a year. would you be willing to comment on your type of finish and storage conditions? Do you think the bow could be taking up moisture and drying between the test intervals?
Strelets:
The finish is several applications of beeswax polish.The bow was kept inside the house, typically at around 16 to 18C except when we had hot spells in summer. The relative humidity was probably lower in winter when the house is heated. However, I now keep the bows in a dry but unheated outhouse. I haven't measured the draw-weight recently, but I can tell by the feel when I draw it that it is at its "winter weight".
Perhaps I should start recording the mass of the bow as well as the draw-weight, to see whether it is gaining or losing moisture content.
I also have bows of ipe backed with ash. They typically have about 2 or 3lb difference between summer and winter draw-weights.
willie:
thanks for sharing your data. I find it interesting that yew is affected more than your other bows.
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