Author Topic: Roughing out help!  (Read 8594 times)

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Offline WillS

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #15 on: August 23, 2017, 01:47:12 am »
It's not "magic" by any means, as Mike said.  It's just incredibly forgiving.  It will tolerate really bad tillering without chrysalling or breaking, and most of the time you can ignore all the flaws you'd need to be careful with when using other woods.  I've made really heavy bows from terrible yew, full of sliced knots, rot, violations... You name it.  It doesn't need heat treating, it doesn't need a perfect back, it doesn't even need sealing from moisture.

It's actually one of my least favourite bow woods, as it's so boring to work with.  What you mentioned about it being hard to find is definitely the reason it's become so hyped up, but as soon as you find a reliable source for it, you very quickly realise just how easy it is to get a bow from. 

It's long been my opinion that one of the main reasons it was used so much for mass produced military bows is simply because you can make it into a heavy bow in about an hour.  You don't need to follow growth rings on the back unlike almost every other wood, and if your tapers are good you'll have a bow after the first bracing.  It's no better than other woods (in fact I think average elm and ash will outshoot average yew almost consistently) it's just much quicker to use.

If you're an idiot it will go pop of course, but with a stave like the one posted here, it shouldn't take more than a few hours at most to be shooting, with a bit of experience.

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #16 on: August 23, 2017, 02:25:08 am »
Yes, well....
I've made 300# Warbows from old packing cases in 30 minutes whilst blindfolded using only a chainsaw... ::)
Del
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 02:36:36 am by Del the cat »
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline WillS

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #17 on: August 23, 2017, 04:30:56 am »
Have you got a link to your blog for those?

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #18 on: August 23, 2017, 05:15:26 am »
Have you got a link to your blog for those?
LOL  ;D
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline willie

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #19 on: August 23, 2017, 04:35:23 pm »
Quote
It's just incredibly forgiving
I have no doubts about your assertation, Will, but I have to ask if forgiveness, as a working quality, is a relative thing? It's quite logical to say that Yew is a more forgiving wood to work with, than say, Oak. The implication being, that it is easier to execute a given design using Yew.

But to me, this indicates that yew is a superior wood for bowmaking, and therefore is capable of
of being well utilized in a more highly strained designs. Said another way, with the care and attention needed to craft a bow from a "lesser" wood, with equal effort, could not a superior bow can be had from yew?

It almost sounds like you are advocating sloppy workmanship is acceptable, but I have seen in other threads where you have made strong recommendation to a neophyte, to accept nothing less than the best tiller possible, even if the bow comes in way under design weight.

I admire your work that you have posted, and know you are meticulous about your own workmanship, so some of the advice you have presented in this thread seems confusing.

Perhaps I have made a poor assumption about the capabilities of yew? As much as I have always wanted to work with yew, I do not have the luxury of obtaining it locally at a reasonable expense, and maybe I should not bother, if it is not usable for an exceptional  bow?

with respect,
willie

Offline WillS

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #20 on: August 23, 2017, 06:30:25 pm »
I think you've misunderstood me completely.  Good yew, made into a good bow by a good bowyer will be superb.

Yew just happens to be more forgiving to mistakes and timber flaws than other woods.  You can get away with more.  That doesn't make it a lesser wood, just a more versatile one.  It means beginners can get on with making a bow and end up with quite a good one despite knots, twist, violations and bad tiller whereas usually, with other woods, they couldn't.

If you can get hold of yew, you will find it makes a wonderful bow.  And the better you treat it, the better the bow.  However, IF you happen to slice through the back rings, or misjudge a knot and leave half of it in the bow, the bow won't break.  If you did it with ash, or elm you'd probably end up with two much smaller bows...

Offline wizardgoat

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #21 on: August 25, 2017, 03:21:10 pm »
To address the original question, I have done both; followed the crown and ignore the crown and snap a chalk like. Both have worked fine for me, both have their own things to deal with.
I also believe yew is an awesome wood for beginners, for the all the reasons mentioned and also is such a soft and workable wood.
I don't know how anyone can say yew is boring to work! :o

Offline meanewood

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #22 on: August 25, 2017, 06:50:33 pm »
I think what Will meant when he said Yew can get boring to work is due to an over familiarity with a forgiving wood compaired to more challenging woods.
Let's face it everything becomes boring if you do it a lot!
I'm a Firefighter and believe it or not, entering burning buildings becomes 'boring' when you've done it for 30 years!
« Last Edit: August 28, 2017, 01:49:43 am by meanewood »

Offline Lucasade

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #23 on: August 26, 2017, 02:40:23 am »
Let's face it everything becomes boring if you do it a lot!
I'm a Firefighter and believe it or not, entering burning buildings becomes 'boring' when you've be doing it for 30 years!

Another firefighter! I've only been doing it two years though so it's not had time to get boring yet...

Offline WillS

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Re: Roughing out help!
« Reply #24 on: August 26, 2017, 09:20:05 am »
I'm a Firefighter and believe it or not, entering burning buildings becomes 'boring' when you've be doing it for 30 years!

Ahhh, I thought I could smell smoke that day...