Author Topic: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive- FAIL  (Read 14342 times)

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Offline Del the cat

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Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive- FAIL
« on: March 25, 2016, 07:40:51 am »
Now some might think I decided to do all heartwood because I messed up running it through the bandsaw... I couldn't possibly comment O:)
Anyhow the original stave was way out of line and bent like a dogs back leg. I did a good bit of bending at the grip to get it to line up. On the lower limb there was a BIG knot going right through which was showing signs of cracking across on the belly. I rasped out a big scallop and patched it. The patch is ugly as sin and totally ruins the look of the bow ;)... oh, sorry, I mean it is near invisible. http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/knot-what-knot.html
It's made for a left hander, but will just shoot right handed with a bit of a shift of hand position.
50# at 28" 65 1/2 ttt, limb width about 1.75", (a bit wider at the knots)
Shoots nicely, it's had 90 arrows through it, about a dozen left handed to check the arrow pass. I'm getting quite good shooting left handed now :)
The back isn't a single ring, but all the violations run along the length of the limbs... it's somewhere between 1/4 sawn and ring backed... I had to get it out of the stave however I could. Interesting to see an all heartwood bow with a back patch and not ring followed seems fine. (Mind it is Yew... not that funny colonial orange stuff  ;) )
It's got a nice bit of character whilst still being a good field shooting bow.
The lower limb has a little deflex out of the fade and I can't take that out with heat 'cos that's where the back patch is, so it may look weak, but trust me, it isn't O:)
With it lying flat on the floor, the grip and the limbs (a bit in from the tips) all sit flat with the limb tips being about 1.5" off the floor.
More pics on the blog of course...
Del
« Last Edit: April 29, 2016, 04:28:27 am by Del the cat »
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Offline sieddy

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2016, 07:58:25 am »
That's an absolute corker mate!  :D
"No man ever broke his bow but another man found a use for the string" Irish proverb

Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2016, 08:03:38 am »
Good looking bow out of a difficult piece of wood Del.
" To be, or not to be"...decisions, decisions, decisions.

Offline redhawk55

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2016, 08:09:42 am »
A lesson: "How to get by with a knot, a real big one".
Very well done "red" yew bow.
Could you tell me why it is usually recommended to leave the sapwood on yew- bows?
I´ve made several yew- bows without sapwood (for similiar reasons you´ve stated) succesfully, but I´ve always the feeling to have committed a crime.
None of my red yewies has broken, but some of my "regularly" made yewies have broken!
Michael
..........the way of underdoing.............

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2016, 08:12:24 am »
A lesson: "How to get by with a knot, a real big one".
Very well done "red" yew bow.
Could you tell me why it is usually recommended to leave the sapwood on yew- bows?
I´ve made several yew- bows without sapwood (for similiar reasons you´ve stated) succesfully, but I´ve always the feeling to have committed a crime.
None of my red yewies has broken, but some of my "regularly" made yewies have broken!
Michael
Dunno!
But the received wisdom is that the heartwood gives the power and the sapwood stops it breaking... maybe that's true for highly stressed warbows and old English Longbows.
Mind the two tone heartwood/sapwood does look really cool and if the sapwood happens to be the right thickness then there is no work in preparing the back... I s'pose that is the real reason... speed of manufacture, with a bit of added durability due to the untouched back and the less brittle nature of the sapwood
Del
« Last Edit: March 25, 2016, 08:16:14 am by Del the cat »
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Offline Pappy

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2016, 08:15:27 am »
Nice work Del , with what looks to be a very challenging stave.
 Pappy
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Offline half eye

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2016, 08:22:26 am »
Hey Mr. Cat,
      That right there is a half eye bow if ever there was one. That bad boy deserves to be in the hunting woods sir 8) 8) 8)  Truly you can make a bow from anything....even that yew stuff >:D
rich

Offline smoke

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2016, 08:37:11 am »
Very cool bow!!

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2016, 08:37:54 am »
Del, that's awesome. That bow is beautiful and tillered well. Excellent! Jawge
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If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Stixnstones

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2016, 08:41:19 am »
Thats a beaut right there buddy. Great work.
DevilsBeachSelfbows

Offline joachimM

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2016, 08:43:36 am »
Nice job, as usual. And always a good story to be told with it.
I really had to look for the patch on the bow by zooming in on the unbraced picture. A wood patch on the back, that's pretty amazing to pull off.

J

Offline Badly Bent

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2016, 08:47:10 am »
Nice bow from a nasty stave Del.
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline bushboy

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2016, 08:49:31 am »
Looks great!lovely tiller!
Some like motorboats,I like kayaks,some like guns,I like bows,but not the wheelie type.

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2016, 08:53:32 am »
Well done Del.  Not often you see all heartwood Yew bows
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Del's Heartwood Yew Primitive
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2016, 08:56:53 am »
Thanks guys, your praise is highly valued indeed and much appreciated :)
Del
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