Weird Yew

[Del the cat]

I cut a piece of Yew yesterday, looked superb on the outside (ram rod straight, very few knots), but it's about 70% sapwood 30% heart.
But there is a whole sector which seems sort of half way between heart and sap, as if it's in a transition state.
It's a bit dissapointing, I was hoping it woul split int o4 staves, but I reckon I'll have to work hard to get two.
The wood will probably be ok, but it won't look right without the nice distinct heart/sap boundary.
Any of you guys met this before? How did you work it, what did it perform like?
I've already painted the ends with pva, but I'll see if I can get a pic tonight (I'm at work at the minute ...shhhh don't tell my boss)
Del

[Keenan]

 Del, what diam was the tree?  The ratio of sap to heart is way off for yew and it sound more like cedar then yew. There are some cedars with bark that looks very similar to yew bark.   I found a tree a while back that I was sure was yew but then notice the needles were flat.  Can you post a pic?

[radius]

i cut a good sized stave of that irish yew recently (bush yew, i guess) and it was very similar...never know how it turns out unless my buddy uses it, cuz i gave that wood away

[bcbull]

LET S SEE SOME PIC S  OF THAT   BROCK

[Del the cat]

Del, what diam was the tree?  The ratio of sap to heart is way off for yew and it sound more like cedar then yew. There are some cedars with bark that looks very similar to yew bark.   I found a tree a while back that I was sure was yew but then notice the needles were flat.  Can you post a pic?

I'll post a pic tonight..I took one lunchtime...but hey I'm Del the Cat, I know a Yew tree when I pee on one see one !
It was partiularly dissapointing as I'd sawn off a small (1/2")branch to get better access with my saw and that had lovely heart wood .
The log is about 5" dia.
Ta for the replies, catch up later...
Del

[Del the cat]

Honey I'm home!
Mrs Cat pointing at it before I felled it (I took this to show the owner which piece I wanted, come to think of it I'm not certain that I took that piece!!! Just look at all those potential staves )

And here's the end of the logs, you can see they are asymetric, v tight growth rings one side and big rings the other, 'cos it was growing tight up against another trunk.

Del

[VenomBOWslinger]

Del I seen u on you tube is it...also where do u live I wished they had yew in newyork state...I was recently on Vacation in Capecod and the time share I was using had Osage trees...not native to that are...im sure what u have will work but Id def. back it with something good... here for u if I can help!!!

Cheers!!

[Keenan]

 You are right it is yew and it is wierd. Let us know how it goes.

[bcbull]

DEL dang  ur right it s yew haha  i do see if a  couple bow on the one on left and for sure 1 on the right  wonder how the other s could go with so much sap  and takin the heart wood   i mean thining the sap use the heart wood ha    sure havent seen yew like that yet  brock

[radius]

but ur gonna make bows with it anyway, right?

[Del the cat]

but ur gonna make bows with it anyway, right?

Oh yes... I mean do we actually want perfect staves? Nah, that'd be tooo easy .
The left side of the left log has real tight grain and the sap is better defined.
The odd thing is, Im sure that there was less heartwood on it yesterday! It's as if that right side has darkened up on its own overnight .
Maybe if I leave it outside on Halloween the Yew Fairies will make it even better? .
The right log was the section above the left one and it has a huge kink in it, should make a bow with some real character.
I'll see how it splits over the weekend.
Then I'll get back to you guys in a year or so and let you know how it goes!
Ta for the encouragement.
Del

[Del the cat]

Del I seen u on you tube is it...also where do u live I wished they had yew in newyork state...I was recently on Vacation in Capecod and the time share I was using had Osage trees...not native to that are...im sure what u have will work but Id def. back it with something good... here for u if I can help!!!

Cheers!!

I'm in the UK, small town called Harlow, about 50miles north of London, it's a 'new town' built after WWII to house the people bombed out of London. There is a lot of ancient woodland around here, it used to be forrest all the way from London to here where king Henry VIII would hunt (Now dude knew how to live )
Del

[Pappy]

Don't know much about Yew but you see a lot of ERC like that where the sap just kind of fads into the heart wood for some reason.
   Pappy

[Del the cat]

Just split it, it ran off one side about 3/4 of the way down  . I reckon I'll get one decent stave from each piece plus maybe enough for a kids bow and a real short experimental flat bow or crossbow prod.
Now it's split I can see down the length it's about an inch and a quarter of heart, with an inch of sapwood either side . I shall have to make a sacrifice to the Yew deities on Halloween to give me luck before I cut some more. (I have a scruffy Yew in the garden, maybe I'll throw a glass of red wine over it?...just kidding guys I'll drink it)
I just need to leave the darned things alone for a few months now (sits on twitching hands).
gotta jump back onto the projects, the 89" long bow and my other Yew stave, and the Laburnum..and...
Del

[Keenan]

  Del, With yew it almost always best to cut it up with a saw instead of splitting. It will often do what happened to you.