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Author Topic: Yew. (I think) YEAHHH!!!!  (Read 6686 times)

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Offline BowSlayer

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Yew. (I think) YEAHHH!!!!
« on: June 25, 2013, 11:58:47 am »
hey everyone im pretty sure what i have is Yew but i could be wrong, not forgeting that last time i thought cherry was yew. but i done alot of reasearch and here it is. i went to a VERY old church yard and asked the warden if i could have some and she said i could help myself. i decided not to run before i could walk so i only cut 2 branches to start with. the warden then said "but be carfull, that stuff is haunted"  :-\ anyhow i went ahead and cut one clean stave with some even relex (stave on the right) and another one with some carachter (one on the left) again i may be wrong. thanks for looking.




close up of the bark


close up of the leaves


the character stave, this also has some nice reflex.

ok, it's not letting me upload the rest of my photo's, ill try again later. please correct me if ive been stupid again and not identified the wood correctly. thanks
« Last Edit: June 25, 2013, 01:58:07 pm by BowSlayer »
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blackhawk

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2013, 12:36:29 pm »
I do believe it is...what did you cover the ends with? White paint?
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2013, 12:51:45 pm »
im panicing! i need to find some of my PVA wood glue :-\ i might need to use paint if it comes to it.
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blackhawk

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2013, 01:06:40 pm »
Then why are the ends white? Yew should have a creamy white sapwood and orangish to pinkish creamsicle colored heartwood
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Offline WillS

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2013, 01:10:53 pm »
You were told you could help yourself, and you took THOSE TWO?! Crazy.

Looks like yew.  There aren't many other trees here in the UK that have needles like that.  Don't panic about sealing the ends.  I always forget to seal the ends of my staves and I've not had any splitting or checking yet.  I've got some yew billets sat upstairs that have been seasoning for about 7 months now without sealed ends.  They're not showing any signs of splitting.

Not that it's a good idea to skip it.  I actually bought some PVA glue specifically for the job but keep forgetting.  Maybe I'm just lucky.  You can use anything - candle wax, beeswax, paint, glue, varnish, sealant whatever you have lying around. 

G'luck.
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2013, 01:19:30 pm »
Quote from: WillS on June 25, 2013, 01:10:53 pm
You were told you could help yourself, and you took THOSE TWO?! Crazy.

Looks like yew.  There aren't many other trees here in the UK that have needles like that.  Don't panic about sealing the ends.  I always forget to seal the ends of my staves and I've not had any splitting or checking yet.  I've got some yew billets sat upstairs that have been seasoning for about 7 months now without sealed ends.  They're not showing any signs of splitting.

Not that it's a good idea to skip it.  I actually bought some PVA glue specifically for the job but keep forgetting.  Maybe I'm just lucky.  You can use anything - candle wax, beeswax, paint, glue, varnish, sealant whatever you have lying around. 

G'luck.

cheers will. i didn't wan't to bite of more than i can chew (which i did) i am heading back there tommorow to possibly get 4 more stave that are longer and more straight, maybe some little reflex.

Quote from: blackhawk on June 25, 2013, 01:06:40 pm
Then why are the ends white? Yew should have a creamy white sapwood and orangish to pinkish creamsicle colored heartwood

there is heartwood im trying to get pics up now.
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2013, 01:28:59 pm »
here it is, ive heard of RPI used before but not to sure what that is or how to measure it?

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Offline Bryce

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2013, 01:35:29 pm »
Yes that is yew. Seal it and hide it from yourself so you don't dig into it too early and ruin it. Put it in the attic, and forget about if. That's what I have to do.
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blackhawk

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2013, 01:45:38 pm »
Winner winner chicken dinner....RPI stands for rings per inch and its counting how many growth rings per inch...looks like about 15 RPI...in general the more rings per inch the denser the wood is....you have a lower density piece there,but that stuff still will make a fine bow if you accommodate to it by proper design...BUT lock that stuff up and forget about it for right now...if your attic gets to hot then don't put it up there..maybe a sellar,or in one of the lost dungeons in your mind...lol :laugh:...a cool damp place for the first six months at least is the best option imho
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2013, 01:51:08 pm »
Horray! finnaly a decent bow wood! ;D ;D ;D ;D and the best bit is i have an unlimited supply! tommorow im getting up at 6:00 to cut me some YEW! (ok someone slap me before i get carried away) don't worry Bryce i won't touch this stuff until it's seasoned. however i am way to inexperienced to work that charachter stave, anyone recomend any Yew buildalongs for beginers? thanks EVERYONE!
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Offline ionicmuffin

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2013, 01:52:14 pm »
Sweet stuff, and looks like you have managed to keep people from jumping down your throat, good job and like they said, keep it out of sight and out of mind until you and the yew have seasoned up!
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think)
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2013, 01:54:40 pm »
Quote from: blackhawk on June 25, 2013, 01:45:38 pm
Winner winner chicken dinner....RPI stands for rings per inch and its counting how many growth rings per inch...looks like about 15 RPI...in general the more rings per inch the denser the wood is....you have a lower density piece there,but that stuff still will make a fine bow if you accommodate to it by proper design...BUT lock that stuff up and forget about it for right now...if your attic gets to hot then don't put it up there..maybe a sellar,or in one of the lost dungeons in your mind...lol :laugh:...a cool damp place for the first six months at least is the best option imho

thanks BH i thought it was something like that. it is acctualy quite heavy. for what it is. right now there sitting in my shed with some wood varnish to seal the ends. im going to have that thing full by the end of summer!
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Offline BowSlayer

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Re: Yew. (I think) YEAHHH!!!!
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2013, 01:59:30 pm »
Anyone got a bucket of ice cold water i can stick my head in? im buzzing
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Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Yew. (I think) YEAHHH!!!!
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2013, 02:03:22 pm »
Yea, got one with a hatchet head cooling in it over here.
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"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

blackhawk

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Re: Yew. (I think) YEAHHH!!!!
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2013, 02:10:08 pm »
Wait a minute there youngling...what if we are all wrong?.. ::)...what if we all conspired to tell ya a big lie? ::)...how wood that make ya feel?  ???
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