Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on August 05, 2017, 11:44:15 am

Title: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Del the cat on August 05, 2017, 11:44:15 am: I thought this might tickle a few of Yew guys.
I'm going to make a warbow from this Yew, now if it isn't any good, it doesn't necessarily prove that all coarse grained, fast grown Yew is poor.
But if it does produce good bow it will disprove that the oft' spouted opinion that coarse grained fast grown Yew is no good.
It already disproves the theory that such lowland fast grown Yew is pale with poor sapwood definition! :)
Anyhow we'll see, I'll be sure to let you know how I get on, I'm nominally aiming for 100# at 31"
Just for the record it was grown in North London in the back garden of a bloke I know. It is the flood plain of the river Lea which is low lying fertile grain.
It's certainly the lowest ring count I've ever seen in Yew.
Del
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Marc St Louis on August 05, 2017, 12:02:29 pm: No reason it shouldn't make a warbow Del but it might take a lot of set
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: wizardgoat on August 05, 2017, 03:11:08 pm: I've made bows from very thick ringed yew, maybe not that thick though!
I design them a little more like a white wood bow, and I always heat treat it.
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Pat B on August 05, 2017, 05:51:40 pm: I've seen mulberry with thinner rings than that.
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: osage outlaw on August 05, 2017, 05:52:17 pm: That looks like it could be a mullberry/yew hybrid. Good luck Del.
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Badger on August 05, 2017, 06:50:08 pm: i think the density of the wood might be your best indicator. What is the density like?
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Del the cat on August 06, 2017, 04:32:07 am: Quote from: Badger on August 05, 2017, 06:50:08 pm
i think the density of the wood might be your best indicator. What is the density like?
Seems pretty heavy in the hand :)
It was cut June 2016
Del
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Pat B on August 06, 2017, 08:36:06 am: Well, whatcha waiting for. Get to scraping. ;) :BB
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Del the cat on August 06, 2017, 01:25:25 pm: I've got the billets spliced and glued... I'll work on 'em tomorrow. (Probably before you guys are up ;) )
Del
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: Bob Barnes on August 06, 2017, 09:32:19 pm: I'm looking forward to your findings... :BB
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: gianluca100 on August 07, 2017, 03:46:53 am: Hello Del,

I used quite some yew that I call "garden yew" because it's fast grown in the city gardens where I live and I got i for free.
The growth rings were not as wide as in your stunning example, but I had some with half as thick rings.
I was never very impressed with the quality and the bows took quite some set, even when turned into rather flatish and wide bows (I never heat treated them).
Where I live I have the opportunity to get some good stuff, grown i the woods and in some altidude. This is really impressing stuff and one unterstands easily why the old timers favoured this kind of yew. So I simply stopped using the garden yew...

Good luck and I'm sure you will get something good and interesting out of it :BB
gianluca
Title: Re: Interesting Yew Billet
Post by: leonwood on August 07, 2017, 07:16:51 am: Will follow this one here and on your blog for sure! Most yew we have in the Netherlands is a bit like that and I find that with heat treating it makes fine bows. Mind I only made a few flatbows of app. 50 lbs so that's not even close to warbow weight;-)