Yew - Stave and dimensions question

[bubby]

that's a sweet bow Pat, I don't know Lee but they don't get much better than that, Bub

[dwardo]

I always split rough out, leave for a few days, then down to rough bow dimensions, few more days and then remove the bark. Then a few weeks outdoors under cover and then indoors to quick dry. I have several computers running in one room at home for work and they keep a nice dry temperature but at teh same time not too hot.

[Lee Slikkers]

Thanks for the replies BH, Pat, Darksoul and Dwardo...I am new to YEW so the debarking was part of my earlier protocol when I got into harvesting my own bow wood.  This "sapling" was cut and debarked 12 months ago and has been drying in my basement since then.  I guess I won't know if the pith shrinking thing occurred or not until I cut into it...

Pat that bow is gorgeous and I'll be lucky if I can pull one off that well...

I think I will end up going with Blackhawk's Option #3 as I favor a bend through the handle anyway...so with this being such a high crown piece a lenticular shaped belly is what I should be aiming for correct?

Thanks a ton guys I REALLY appreciate the advice and input on this one.

[Lee Slikkers]

Darksoul, looks like I got lucky...not checking or splitting anywhere through the pith or surrounding areas.  Pretty glad about that since this is the only piece of Yew I have or will likely get my hands on for quite awhile (this was a gift from a grounds keeper of a cemetery who knew I was looking and since they had to remove the tree this was all I got from it that was usable.

Sure it pretty stuff!

[Weylin]

I made the same mistake of taking the bark off of a yew limb when I got it. It had already been sitting out for a year. Gordon caught me half way through taking off the bark and gave me the same warning that Darksoul did. He put some shellac on the back to the slow the drying and even with that I got some cracks near the end without the bark that forced me to use a less than optimal section of the limb for the bow. I would consider sealing it with something until you're ready to make a bow with it.

[Lee Slikkers]

Yeah, I did seal the back of the sapling really well when I debarked it but live and learn...given how Yew is very rare in my neck of the woods I doubt I'd have a chance to make this mistake anytime again soon    Sealing the back must have worked to a degree as when I cut it in half and let it sit on my kitchen counter in less than 2 days I started to see very faint checking in the heart wood so I rushed it downstairs and sealed the heck out of it and put them back up to season for another year or so I guess...