Yew-pppppppppyeee (some advice please)

[GlisGlis]

Being a DIY guy (and also being on a tight budget) i have recurrent wet dry dreams of me finding free sources of valuable woods.
Here the proof that sometimes dreams come true!!!
today while running i reached a park where a team of workers where digging a new water channel.
They had to cut some trees that layed in a messy pile.
to my surprise there was some yew in it. I asked if i could take some and they approved.
After breaking all olympic running records in my way to home I took my bike and collected all the stuff that i could.
there are 8 pretty straight staves with the smaller sections ranging from 1 to 3 inches.
Maybe I could be able to retrive more but the pile is really intricate and weighted with big logs

Now some question
is that safe to rough a bow to speed up the drying? I'm in a total yew frenzy and i doubt i can wait more than a year to start 

I dont like too much the elb design/concept. what other design would you suggest with that (not big) sections?

due to small section I'll have to decrown this bows? Yew will tolerate a decrowned unbacked design? or i'll have to back it?

thankyou in advance

[alwayslookin]

Send to me for further inspection.   nice score man I have never used yew I'm sure folks with more knowledge will chime in.

[Keenan]

 Yew will tolerate just about any bow design. It is one of the most versatile bow woods. Makes a great flat bow, elb, sinew shorties ad shapes well with heat. As far as fast drying, if it was just cut, the sap should be fairly low because of winter and being dormant. You could probably get away with it if careful and do it slowly or the next few months. Rough in, seal and store in cool area. Check often Yes it will sometimes warp if rough in is not done right. However it heat corrects very well.

[Swampman]

I have no advice on yew but I just have to comment on you picture.  That picture pretty much sums up the addiction and resourcefulness of the people here on primitive archer.  LOL 

[wizardgoat]

I haven't had good luck with rushing yew, in fact I've ruined a few really nice staves. Seal the ends of them and forget about them for at least 8 or 9 months. Then you could rough them out and let them dry further. If you reduced them now, they will FOR SURE twist and wander

[Woody Knot]

 rough the  yew on the belly side only. seal the end with PVA glue and then lashed them to something that wont bend and put them away in and airy but dry cool place ..
they will dry a lot quicker this way and will not twist if you lash them tight .. it has worked for me with yew on several occasions.
I have lashed staves to metal supports in a barn that had doors both ends so was very drafty, it also has a asbestos roof ..
Garry cornwall uk

[Del the cat]

You can chop away some of the knotty sides that you wont want and seal the ends, give 'em at least 6 months than start roughing 'em down.
But if you must rush one, pick the worst bit and have a play roughing down (with the ends sealed) you don't know what it will do until you try.
Del

[GlisGlis]

thankyou alot for the replys
what about decrowning and backing? I fear the sections are too small to make decent flatbows

[blackhawk]

Yew will tolerate just about any bow design. It is one of the most versatile bow woods.

Nice to see ya around here again Keenan 

IMO yew like s patience when drying. If too fast,and not down right it likes to deflex and warp its self

[Keenan]

Thank you Chris,
 Yes I've been gone for far too long. Trying to break out of my isolation and hermit tendencies.