150 lb yew

[adb]

A nice bow indeed. 1/2" of set at that draw is very impressive. It doesn't look like it's being drawn very far on the tiller stick, and why is it on a tiller stick anyway? At what draw is it making 150#? Also, what's up with the hemp wrap under the top(?) nock? Is there a flaw? Someone drawing this bow to 30-32" would be very nice to see.

[Lukasz Nawalny]

I dont know english very good , so I dont know exactly what are you talking about. Near one of nocks was little cavity in sapwood , and wood loks a little to week for me.  by this draw weight I want to sure , that everything will be ok , so such reinforcement. Bow was tillered to 28" - 189 cm is full lengt but only 179 between nocks. On foto is pull on 25 " . I dont like make fotos with full draw such bows on tillering tree - before I make good foto - could be last about 30 seconds and it is to long for such bow in full draw - and nobody can pull this bow in my neighborhood. You say that near nocks should be round cross secion or all bow should have round section ?

[Marc St Louis]

Rod, if you make and post a 150+lbs yew selfbow with 1/2" of follow I'll promise to try and find good points

The fact that the bow is 75" long and only tillered to 28" makes a difference on the string follow here.  Tillering it to a longer draw length will add a fair bit of set

Henry: Having square edges on the back is not a good thing. 

P.S.  Nice bow by the way.  I know making a heavy draw weight bow is not an easy thing to do

[Lukasz Nawalny]

ok , not good , but why ? I dont read book about bow making - in polish we have no such books and my english is not very good, so Im happy to know yours opinion. I have made few yew longbow with oval cross secion and in my opinion such secion make bow a little more string follow prone . Maybe in pacific yew with thin sapwood we have other situation?

[Marc St Louis]

Henry
A square edge on the back is much more likely to pull a splinter

[Rod]

Actually the source of my comment about bending an eraser was doing so many years ago, as I'm sure many of us did at school.
I did not immediately make the connection, until one or two sharp edged bows broke by lifting at the corners, where a bow with rounded corners did not.
This was subsequently reinforced by two gentlemen of my acquaintance who are, but would never claim to be "master bowyers".
Quite a few years subsequently it was interesting but not surprising to read the item to which you refer in TTBB.

I note your comments about balance, and will only say that there is no shortage of positive comment on this particular thread and I did not in this instance choose to add to it.

Since I have no use for a 150 lb bow at this time, it may be a long wait.
But if you care to introduce yourself at an NFAS meeting I would be happy to shoot with you.
I still take the odd Sunday off and get out occasionally.

Rod.

[Pat B]

Nice looking bow Henry. I made a 95#@30" yew bow a few years ago but I could not pull it.   I gave it back to the guy that gave me the stave.
   If you round the edged along the back it will add some protection from raising a splinter and should not reduce the weight at all. That area, along the edges is dead weight on a bow. A good rule of thumb is ..."the diameter of a pea"..1/4" or less. Generally I will use my scraper to remove the very edge with one scrape and then one scrape just below that one and another just above. A light sanding will smooth to a nice rounded edge.

[Lukasz Nawalny]

ok , thanks.

[Rod]

The "diameter of a small pea" would typically apply to the radiussing of the corners on a flat backed bow, such as we commonly see with a hickory backing lamination.

I would expect a yew self bow to me more rounded out, but there is also a good deal of variety in known cross sections.

Rod.

[skerm]

Actually the source of my comment about bending an eraser was doing so many years ago, as I'm sure many of us did at school.
I did not immediately make the connection, until one or two sharp edged bows broke by lifting at the corners, where a bow with rounded corners did not.
This was subsequently reinforced by two gentlemen of my acquaintance who are, but would never claim to be "master bowyers".
Quite a few years subsequently it was interesting but not surprising to read the item to which you refer in TTBB.

I'd like to add that the discovery of this goes back to the first half of the 19th century. It is also discussed in probably every mechanics book that covers the bending of beams, so it is not really a great new discovery.

[Yeomanbowman]

I think providing actual historical evidence is always useful. This an image on a Mary Rose bow raised by the Deane Bros.  The sap has turned the same colour as the belly




It shows the work of, I assume we would all agree, a Master Boyer who has left the edge of his bow quite sharp, as Henry has.  I don't make my self-bows this way but if the gentleman who made it were alive today I don't think I'd be so presumptuousness as to correct him  .

[Keenan]

 Very nice bow Henry. I have had some "war bow" staves just can't get myself to stop at that stage and see if they'll hold up at fulldraw. To have that little of set is quite an accomplishment

[Aries]

Thats rediculous weight . how fast are these bows that are 150#+ really? do they rely on speed or just their ability to shoot a heavy arrow? whats the deal with the high poundage

[adb]

It takes a heavy bow with high draw weight to shoot a heavy arrow any sort of distance. A 60+ gram arrow 200 yards is a beginning minimum. A 1/4 pound arrow 200+ yards is exceptional.

[zeNBowyer]

At  #150 it  must  be  like  launching  a  javelin:)