Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Thunderlizard on September 21, 2018, 10:44:07 am
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I was at work yesterday, flagging a timber harvest boundary around a road, when I stumbled upon this small diameter yew. Since it is going to be cut this time next year, I took the liberty to harvest it myself in hopes of making a bow from it.
It is about 72” long at this point. And between 1 1/2” and 1 3/4” diameter. Small pin knots but nothing major...
Will it make a shooter?! If anyone has experience making a bow from a yew sapling, please let me know. And if anyone has opinions in the compression (tightness) of the rings on one side, please divulge anything you know.
Thanks!
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One more photo
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If you’ve got the skill yea. It’ll make a decent shooter
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I am no yew expert by any stretch, but that looks to me like it would be a great candidate for a northern European style neolithic bow. Basic flatbow trending to longbow design, flattened d cross section.
I would get those ends sealed up right away, regardless of the wood.
Kyle
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It looks more like a branch than a sapling to me w/ those compression rings. Was it growing at an angle?
I have yet to make a bow from yew compression wood, but I would think you'd want those compression rings on the belly. It seems to me (and please correct me if I'm mistaken) that in order to achieve that you'd have to rip away the majority of the wood above the compression side and back the bow with wood or sinew.
Please do chime in if you know how to make a bow from such a stave! :)
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Yep there is a good selfbow in there for sure.
No need to worry about rings and compression/ tension wood. For now, just make a bow. Lay it out so that when you’re done roughing it out you can pull against the natural reflex of the wood.
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i'm not sure how the compression wood will react might have to do some heat correction after you start shaping it.
if it was mine i would just start shaping a bendy handle sapling bow, high crowned staves tend to dictate bow shape.
and nail the tiller as soon as you can high crown staves also drop weight faster than a standard stave.
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It'll make a decent stick bow.
Locate the cleanest straightest side for the back and don't touch it. Chop away the other side to give a flat belly.
Here's one from a much worse stick... :o
https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2013/06/stick-bow.html (https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2013/06/stick-bow.html)
Del
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It looks more like a branch than a sapling to me w/ those compression rings. Was it growing at an angle?
I have yet to make a bow from yew compression wood, but I would think you'd want those compression rings on the belly. It seems to me (and please correct me if I'm mistaken) that in order to achieve that you'd have to rip away the majority of the wood above the compression side and back the bow with wood or sinew.
Please do chime in if you know how to make a bow from such a stave! :)
It’s definitely a sapling! Growing right out of the ground, just at an angle!
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Yep there is a good selfbow in there for sure.
No need to worry about rings and compression/ tension wood. For now, just make a bow. Lay it out so that when you’re done roughing it out you can pull against the natural reflex of the wood.
Just to be clear, you would lay it out so the the tips are bending away from me at back?
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Yep there is a good selfbow in there for sure.
No need to worry about rings and compression/ tension wood. For now, just make a bow. Lay it out so that when you’re done roughing it out you can pull against the natural reflex of the wood.
Putting it another way, the side facing Smokey the dog on the last photo will be the back?
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i'm not sure how the compression wood will react might have to do some heat correction after you start shaping it.
if it was mine i would just start shaping a bendy handle sapling bow, high crowned staves tend to dictate bow shape.
and nail the tiller as soon as you can high crown staves also drop weight faster than a standard stave.
Awesome
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I've read where some would use the side where the wood is removed as the back with a good sinewing and the high crowned side as the belly.
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Yep there is a good selfbow in there for sure.
No need to worry about rings and compression/ tension wood. For now, just make a bow. Lay it out so that when you’re done roughing it out you can pull against the natural reflex of the wood.
Just to be clear, you would lay it out so the the tips are bending away from me at back?
Away from the belly. So your 3rd photos down. The top would be your back
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Always confuses me whenever I see someone suggest using bow wood and especially yew as firewood. Isn’t yew pretty darn poisonous?
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Always confuses me whenever I see someone suggest using bow wood and especially yew as firewood. Isn’t yew pretty darn poisonous?
It's a V good firewood. My big Sis used to burn all my offcuts in her wood burner.
Del
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A tidbit of trivia - I seem to remember reading/hearing the "yew" is the origin of "Yule" from the bringing in of the Yule log for the mid winter bonfire of the Celts and other cultures. Good luck with that stave.
Hawkdancer
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Always confuses me whenever I see someone suggest using bow wood and especially yew as firewood. Isn’t yew pretty darn poisonous?
Well, I’m new to bow making, so I’m just looking for opinions as to whether this is good bow wood, or worthwhile to attempt a bow with.
As you probably know, not every piece of Yew, Osage, or even ash, hickory, or cherry can be made into a bow.
And yes Yew does have some compounds in it that are poisonous (taxine/taxane), but cherry has cyanide in it, and is used for firewood all over the place. I’ve burnt Yew wood before and don’t have an issue with it. That said, I’m not going to cook my food over it or breath it in on purpose..
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Yep there is a good selfbow in there for sure.
No need to worry about rings and compression/ tension wood. For now, just make a bow. Lay it out so that when you’re done roughing it out you can pull against the natural reflex of the wood.
Just to be clear, you would lay it out so the the tips are bending away from me at back?
Away from the belly. So your 3rd photos down. The top would be your back
Do you recommend keeping the sapwood on the back, and doing the roughing out by taking away the sapwood on the belly and getting into the heartwood? Result being a high crowned back and flat belly?
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Looks good! Probably want to thin the sap wood a bit for esthetics on the build but should be fine!
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+1 to what Blayne said. I use saplings like that for all most all my bows. I cut some Yew poles just like that this weekend. Cheers- Brendan
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Yes that is a good stave, imho
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Always confuses me whenever I see someone suggest using bow wood and especially yew as firewood. Isn’t yew pretty darn poisonous?
Well, I’m new to bow making, so I’m just looking for opinions as to whether this is good bow wood, or worthwhile to attempt a bow with.
As you probably know, not every piece of Yew, Osage, or even ash, hickory, or cherry can be made into a bow.
And yes Yew does have some compounds in it that are poisonous (taxine/taxane), but cherry has cyanide in it, and is used for firewood all over the place. I’ve burnt Yew wood before and don’t have an issue with it. That said, I’m not going to cook my food over it or breath it in on purpose..
Yes yew wood is poisonous and the dust from working it is pretty bad. I remember reading something about the bark being used for cancer research. I also remember that bugs don’t bore into the wood cause it’s poisonous to them as well. Hope to see that bow in the bow thread soon!!! Best of luck!
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https://www.cancer.gov/research/progress/discovery/taxol
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Always confuses me whenever I see someone suggest using bow wood and especially yew as firewood. Isn’t yew pretty darn poisonous?
Well, I’m new to bow making, so I’m just looking for opinions as to whether this is good bow wood, or worthwhile to attempt a bow with.
As you probably know, not every piece of Yew, Osage, or even ash, hickory, or cherry can be made into a bow.
And yes Yew does have some compounds in it that are poisonous (taxine/taxane), but cherry has cyanide in it, and is used for firewood all over the place. I’ve burnt Yew wood before and don’t have an issue with it. That said, I’m not going to cook my food over it or breath it in on purpose..
Yes yew wood is poisonous and the dust from working it is pretty bad. I remember reading something about the bark being used for cancer research. I also remember that bugs don’t bore into the wood cause it’s poisonous to them as well. Hope to see that bow in the bow thread soon!!! Best of luck!
Yeah, but bugs can't read.... they certainly do bore into Yew.
I've been working with Yew for years, it's the dust that is problematic, but even that effects some more than others. Dust extraction or working outside is the answer.
Over the years I seem more sensitive to dust, but never had any real reaction to Yew.
IMO the wood and shavings are no problem, the underbark stuff (cambium) is very dust and nasty.
Yew isn't really a problem, just don't make pine needle tea from it, as that was the Roman's preferred suicide method :o
Del
PS. Every man is his own safety officer!
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I agree with Del. The dust never bothers me from the wood, but the cambium chokes me up. I will scrape the bark off sometimes until just the cambium is left, so i can still draw on the back with a sharpie, and then when I floor tiller a lot of it just pops off. Scary sound for sure! But makes a nice clean back. You can actually leave the bark on all the way as your tillering and it will break off too. Have also cut a stave in the early summer when the sap is flowing hard and the bark peels off very easy when green. Just have to be careful when seasoning. Seal the ends and the back to keep them from checking!
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Woops, back to the topic, I’m sure good bows have been made from worse wood.
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One more time Haha -
Do you recommend keeping the sapwood on the back, and doing the roughing out by taking away the sapwood on the belly and getting into the heartwood? Result being a high crowned back and flat belly?
any opinions would be helpful!
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One more time Haha -
Do you recommend keeping the sapwood on the back, and doing the roughing out by taking away the sapwood on the belly and getting into the heartwood? Result being a high crowned back and flat belly?
any opinions would be helpful!
My first response answered this quite adequately.
Del
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One more time Haha -
Do you recommend keeping the sapwood on the back, and doing the roughing out by taking away the sapwood on the belly and getting into the heartwood? Result being a high crowned back and flat belly?
any opinions would be helpful!
Yes, leave the bark on the back and reduce the belly. Most of the bark will pop off when you start bending it.
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One more time Haha -
Do you recommend keeping the sapwood on the back, and doing the roughing out by taking away the sapwood on the belly and getting into the heartwood? Result being a high crowned back and flat belly?
any opinions would be helpful!
My first response answered this quite adequately.
Del
Dunno how I missed that! Thanks Del!