Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => English Warbow => Topic started by: fishfinder401 on June 03, 2011, 08:38:19 pm
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i was just heading over to our cottage, and guess what one our neighbors has in his yard..... alot of VERY overgrown yew, looks like i will actually be able to make a traditional yew warbow without breaking the bank ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-any suggestions for how to cut, and prepare for drying ???
thanks
noel
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I've never cut Yew but all of what I have bought had the bark on and the ends sealed. Some of it can have quite a bit of spiral growth which can created problems. If they do and you saw the staves out they will twist up as they dry. If you split them they will split in a spiral.
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Depending on the diameter I would just split it peel the bark and seal it with shellack, some Yew tends to have allot of twist in my experiance and if that is the case when you start splitting I would saw it down the middile. Look forward to some pictures if you get some of it. The stuff that isnt fit for bows you could use for making war atlatls and war handles ;D
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there is a whole section on cutting and drying wood in the Bowyer's Bible Vol. 1, give me a little time and I can relay some info if you want
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sorry it took so long :) I got distracted while looking for my copy of The Traditional Bowyer's Bible Volume 1...
anyways... just as an fyi there is alot of info in the chapter, and I doubt I'll do justice to it... ok the first thing to note is that on yew the growth rings consist of 2 parts first the lighter early wood and then the late wood (the dark rings)(it is not talking about the sapwood and heartwood but rather the growth rings)... it goes on to say to "cut a tree when you want to or when you can, just make sure you treat it properly once it is down." It says the tree should be a min 8 in because it will be deep enough for the grip of a bow. "Before cutting a tree, look closely at the bark, because its appearance is a sure indicator of major grain characteristics of the wood." (they are calling grain the "lines" that wood splits on, not the growth rings) if the bark spirals up the tree the grain will too. Now that you've picked a tree you can cut it down, how you do so is your choice. You can either split it into staves or cut it, from what I've read it dosen't make much of a difference (if the grain spirals it will twist when drying) also you can pull the bark off and seal the back and ends off at this time but my personal opinion is to leave the bark on and seal the ends (from what I've read most who work w/ yew would leave the bark on) Now a bit about drying, the book talks more about getting the wood down to a % range of 12-7% below 5% is a dangerous area to be, to measure the moisture content you'll want to buy a moisture meter(idk where to buy one, but i need to find out so i can reduce the chance of my erc bow from breaking), you could also weigh the wood every couple days till it stops losing weight and give it another week or so and it should be ready. Sooo its your choice leave the staves/ billets out to dry for a year (as is said by some who use yew) or you can artificially dry them (i.e.: a kiln (a car in the middle of summer works for this)) Checking for over-dryed wood is simple: just play w/ kinda bow shaped sliver of the wood, it will show just how brittle it is.
I hope this helps ;D there is more info in the chapter, and is a worth while read, but don't take everything at face-value, do your research and make your own opinion, best advice I can give (I read this somewhere) is do what the wood wants you to do ;D
--Mark R.
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Trade ya a Yew stave for some Osage ;D
Good luck with the stuff and please post some pics of the Yew at harvest time.
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Marz5, WOW, that sure will help, thanks for the information. if everything works out well, this will be my first time actually harvest wood besides small sapling
-Lee, if i had any i would trade it for yew in a heartbeat
thanks for the help everyone
noel
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Noel, I think I got our wires crossed...I have Osage and would trade you for a Yew 8) LOL
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You can read the section on seasoning and cutting wood in the TBB. You can see it in the preview in google books.
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Noel, I think I got our wires crossed...I have Osage and would trade you for a Yew 8) LOL
i was afraid of that :D
by the way, young bowyer, how young are you, if you don't want to say its fine, im just curious
noel
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very young, yet experienced ;D
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Ignore the 8" diameter... that's bull. I've made ELBs out of logs about 2.5" diameter at the thin end! Ok 5-6" is better.
Seal the ends immediately. Rip the logs into halfs or quarters as appropriate as soon as you like, no need to de-bark (it's protecting that sap wood so you might as well just leave it, it also stops it drying too quick)
Leave 'em 9 months somewhere dry & airy.
De-bark and start working down over the next three months.
Anyhow that's what I do in the UK climate.
Once they are sawn you will have a better idea what the grain and sapwood is like.
Spliting is fine if you can afford the risk of wasting the wood (That's why I got my bandsaw)
Yew is so good it will take a bit of run off or twist and it will also take being straightened with dry heat or steam.
Here's a link to some pics of staves in a Yew tree to give you and idea of what I use. http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/04/yew-staves-in-tree.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2011/04/yew-staves-in-tree.html)
Del
Oh, I've just realised ... I was wrong... anything dead straight and under 8" should be immediately shipped to me for safe disposal ::) O:)
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Any word on the YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW yet buddy ;D
Josh
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Any word on the YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW yet buddy ;D
Josh
haven't asked yet, but i will soon
by the way, how is yew for short bows? if there aren't any warbow stave it at least has some short bows in it
thanks
noel
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All you folks and your yew >:D Care to share the love at all?
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I have seen some nice all heartwood sinew backed yew bows that were sweet!
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good to know ;D
wait, what about a yew shortbow warbow, mabey something like 150@26( and please don't start saying a shortbow can't be a warbow)
or..... is it possible to make a take down warbow?
thanks
noel
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Concentrate on making good bows before making these silly weights, 150 @ 26 will be like pulling a bow more like 190
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Jeez, Yew will make any sort of bow...as long as the design is vaguely sensible!
Del
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good to know ;D
wait, what about a yew shortbow warbow, mabey something like 150@26( and please don't start saying a shortbow can't be a warbow)
or..... is it possible to make a take down warbow?
thanks
noel
I'd like to see that.
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do I hear a build-along?
a short warbow will be interesting to see ;D
--Mark R.
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do I hear a build-along?
a short warbow will be interesting to see ;D
--Mark R.
if get my hands on yew illl do a build along, heck, ill do it with any wood ;D