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Author Topic: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?  (Read 4610 times)

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radius

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yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« on: August 08, 2009, 12:55:52 pm »
hey guys, i've got a bunch of yew and there are 2 distinctly different "grades" of seasoning to them.  One tree was old and long dead...the wood is dry and dark...got a whack of staves from that...the other wood is lighter and works very differently under the knife...seems almost gummy, but it is dry...

here are some pics of the differences





or...





so far, i've made two bows from the older stuff, and they both broke.  i had to decrown them to get past the checks...on the other hand, i've made two bows out of the newer stuff, and they both took set...

any of you experienced yew guys got any advice?

« Last Edit: August 08, 2009, 01:52:54 pm by radius »
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Offline Pat B

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2009, 01:24:03 pm »
Instead of decrowning just remove the wood until you get past the checks and chase a ring. If the rings are too thin to chase, use a simple backing(silk, linen, etc) before tillering.
  Have you tested the M/C of these staves?  I doubt they are too dry from age. If you live in the dessert SW they may be too dry.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

radius

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2009, 01:31:11 pm »
tricky to chase a ring...not impossible, but tricky...Pat, what do you think about this process:

1.  get down under the cracks:  establish the back

2.  rough out the stave to bow-shape

3.  heat treat the belly

4.  add silk backing

5.  tiller

i bought some silk yesterday, which i will have to splice over the handle...looking forward to trying it out...
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Offline Dano

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2009, 01:35:42 pm »
I think your problem is the violated rings, I've always left a little sapwood and never had a problem. I don't care what a person uses, the stave has to have a strong back. If it were me I'd de-crown with a plane, and back em with bamboo, but that's just me. Silk might work but I have my doubts.
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Nevada

radius

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2009, 01:54:27 pm »
bamboo is not really an option for me right now:  too much prep required and i'm using all handtools in my  apartment "shop" right now...

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Offline Pat B

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2009, 02:02:16 pm »
How long are you waiting after heat treating before you stress the bow?  Try making a bow without heat treating but backing with silk.
   I have only made a few bows with yew and all had sapwood backs. The North West Natives made yew heartwood bows with violated backs and they were short.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

radius

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2009, 02:39:17 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on August 08, 2009, 02:02:16 pm
How long are you waiting after heat treating before you stress the bow?  Try making a bow without heat treating but backing with silk.
   I have only made a few bows with yew and all had sapwood backs. The North West Natives made yew heartwood bows with violated backs and they were short.

exactly Pat!  And working with this wood, i can see why:  hard to find straight sections very long.  The tree i have, i pushed over by hand.  It was standing dead, and i bet the natives would've done the same.  Push over a dead tree rather than chop down a living one and wait for it to cure.  But the downside:  sapwood check and bug problems...

I'll try all kinds of ways to make this stuff work!  I heat treated the one that blew about four days before i stressed it again...and it really needed it, because even though i made it bend to 28", it took about 3" of set...
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Offline Pat B

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2009, 02:53:15 pm »
How long after you collected the wood did you start working with it. Even though it was dead it still absorbs moisture from the ground.
  Set can be caused by different things...wood too wet(water or unseasoned), overly stressed before it can handle it or just bad wood. Generally it is the first two.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline shamus

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2009, 04:42:45 pm »
Quote
One tree was old and long dead.

THERE is the problem.

DEAD wood is NOT the same as DRIED wood.

Dead wood makes dead bows.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2009, 08:28:59 pm by shamus »
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Offline DarkSoul

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2009, 06:24:18 pm »
All wood is dead.

(That's a braintickler for you.)
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Offline Gordon

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2009, 07:11:29 pm »
Scott, if all the sapwood is removed and you don't have a clean back then you will need more than silk to keep it together. Rawhide might work, sinew would be best.
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Gordon

Offline Dano

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2009, 08:25:33 pm »
"The North West Natives made yew heartwood bows with violated backs and they were short. "

Pat, I just wonder how many of their bows broke like Scott's, to me it's a recipe for disaster.
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Nevada

Offline shamus

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2009, 08:34:36 pm »
Quote
All wood is dead.

obviously..otherwise it wouldn't be wood.  ;)

But there is a BIG difference between what is regarded as 'dead' wood and  'dried' wood.  Not all dry wood is dead wood.  And dead wood does make dead bows.

Deadwood: dried and decayed wood.

Dried wood: dried with no decay.

 
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Offline Pat B

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2009, 08:42:51 pm »
Most of the ones I've seen in museums didn't break. ;D 
Maybe thats why they are in museums! ::)      I know that grain violations in the heartwood of yew is a no no. It can be done but I wouldn't try it myself either. Yew sapwood, on the other hand, is different. It can have grain violations.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Gordon

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Re: yew: such a thing as seasoned too long?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2009, 08:49:07 pm »
You can violate sapwood rings, but even there it pays not to get too carried away with it.
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Gordon
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