Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PaSteve on July 22, 2019, 05:42:56 pm

Title: First Yew Bow
Post by: PaSteve on July 22, 2019, 05:42:56 pm: I've made a few bows from osage so I thought I'd attempt a yew bow. I managed to get my hands on a somewhat twisty yew stave with 2 long belly splits and a few knots. I wasn't sure I would get a bow from the stave but wanted the experience of working with yew. The stave was about 2 1/2" wide with one side having about 1/2" of sapwood and the other side 5/16". I drew out the bow trying to avoid the splits at the same time following the natural curves of the stave.
After rough shaping I removed the bark and worked the sapwood down to about 1/4". It became very obvious I had violated various sapwood rings. After floor tillering it took about 5 or 6 heat straightening attempts to get the string centered through the handle. I was feeling pretty confident the stave would produce a bow so I added curly purpleheart overlays, tillered it to about 18" then glued some thin goat rawhide to the back. The rawhide may not have been necessary but I figured it was good insurance.
I shot about 200 arrows over the course of a week and the tiller remained looking pretty good to me. I added a split timber rattler skin and an abalone shell arrow pass. Finished with 9 coats of tru oil then polished with pumice/oil slurry for a more satin look. Cork arrow shelf with dyed elk leather handle stitched with natural lace.
Specs: 62 1/2" ntn, 51# @ 26", 8 strand FF string
Thanks for looking. Any comments or criticism always welcome.(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350672651_e82624e301_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzQt6)20190722_143851-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzQt6) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350652711_2122d67ebb_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzJxi)20190722_144818-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzJxi) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350787302_7cbbd6dd16_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAqxQ)20190722_143736-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAqxQ) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350741991_c688539b67_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAc5B)20190722_144918-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAc5B) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350652371_af57f3e0fc_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzJrr)20190722_143836-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzJrr) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350817422_7a99138b71_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAzv9)20190722_143929 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEAzv9) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350683051_7978d501aa_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzTyp)20190722_144122 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzTyp) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350678696_03f130abfb_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzSgj)20190722_143703-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzSgj) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: PaSteve on July 22, 2019, 05:44:04 pm: Full Draw(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350682976_2d70eae33f_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzTx7)20190708_152657-1 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2gEzTx7) by Steve Woodruff (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155807693@N05/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: upstatenybowyer on July 22, 2019, 06:44:25 pm: That looks awesome Steve! :OK
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Pat B on July 22, 2019, 06:46:39 pm: 8) :BB :OK
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: bassman on July 22, 2019, 07:51:58 pm: Nice looking bow their Steve.Never had a chance to build a Yew bow.Looks like it will be a good shooter. Nice detail work also.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: burchett.donald on July 23, 2019, 04:52:29 am: Steve,
Love that Canebrake/Timber skin!..Really nice craftsmanship on your build...
Don
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Del the cat on July 23, 2019, 04:57:30 am: That's my fave style of Yew bow (I'll pretend I didn't see the shelf ;))
Nice work :)
Del
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Eric Krewson on July 23, 2019, 05:30:31 am: It could be the picture but the top limb looks stiff. Sometimes an angled picture throws everything off.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: SLIMBOB on July 23, 2019, 05:30:52 am: Really nice!
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: StickMark on July 23, 2019, 09:33:28 am: Nice tiller.
I see now how "it is done," and I have my new smartphone out, comparing your tiller to mine.
I'd hunt with it.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: woodstone on July 23, 2019, 10:28:07 am: Looks good, nice job Steve! Finish work is excellent and I know it's a shooter. That will work in the deer woods this season.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Stixnstones on July 23, 2019, 02:46:10 pm: Great lookin bow...love everything about it
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: osage outlaw on July 23, 2019, 03:26:21 pm: That's a very nice looking bow!
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: PaSteve on July 23, 2019, 05:18:46 pm: Upstate, Pat B, Bassman, Slimbob, Stixnstones & Outlaw thanks for the compliments. Donald, that was my first time working with canebreak skins. I really like the way they turned out. They seem to be a little thicker than other types of skins I've worked with. They'll make for great camo in the whitetail woods. Del, I contemplated not adding a shelf, but for hunting purposes I prefer one just in case I get lazy and want to hang my bow with a nocked arrow. Eric, quite possibly the top limb is a little stiff. I'm just learning how to use my gizmo and it helped a lot. StickMark, get yourself a gizmo and your tillering skills are bound to improve. Woodstone, I'm hoping to find out just how well it will work in the deer woods. Compliments coming from the experienced bowyers on this site mean an awful lot to me. Thanks.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Will B on July 23, 2019, 06:18:14 pm: Nice looking bow Steve. I love the skins and your tip overlays. Great job!
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on July 23, 2019, 06:55:45 pm: I like it. Very nice.
Jawge
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Eric Krewson on July 24, 2019, 05:32:55 am: With your bow strung measure the distance from the string to the belly 12" in from the where the string touched the limb at the nock. If your gizmo tillering is spot on this will tell you if you have a stiff upper limb. I like the top limb 1/8" to 3/16" positive, I shoot split finger.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on July 24, 2019, 05:38:12 am: Nice looking bow
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: PaSteve on July 24, 2019, 10:32:09 am: Thank you Marc, George and Will. Much appreciated. Eric, I did as you said and took measurements. My results indicated a 1/16" positive tiller so I guess you are correct that my top limb is a little stiff. Thanks for the advice. Something I will be more cognizant of in future builds.
Title: Re: First Yew Bow
Post by: Eric Krewson on July 24, 2019, 11:56:08 am: If it shoots good for you I wouldn't worry about it, if your arrows hop off the rest you will know why.