Yew bark

[DC]

I usually leave the bark on my Yew staves and let it pop off as I start to bend it. It normally works fine and gives me the nice natural back that I like. The last one I did seemed to hang on a bit longer. I was pulling to 45# and waiting for the crack of the bark. It took forever and when it did go the weight dropped so much that I dern near undershot my target weight. Does this happen often? Is there a way to avoid it? I could grab it in the vice and just reef on it til it popped but I'm leery of putting a bunch of set in it before I get going.

[Pat B]

I always get the bark off first. Years ago I left the bark on a hickory bow and it cracked and the crack went into the wood. Since then I haven't started a bow with the bark left on.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I always fight mine off the stave. I like to see EXACTLY what I'm doing when I lay a bow out. With the bark left on I am relying on the sawn stave to be correct, which isn't always right on with the actual grain. I'm a paranoid freak about proper grain. I've learned its my number factor to a good bow in the end. Thats how we end up with a twisted mess at brace with what appears to be a straight bow unbraced.

[wizardgoat]

Don, if I don't get any bark cracking and popping at very early floor tiller stage, I'll just remove it then.
Some yew staves the bark comes off so easily and clean, I've had 12" of bark come off at once.
Other staves the bark is stuck on really good, and almost gummy or sappy.
Not sure if it has something to do with when the wood was cut, how it was stored, male or female? Who knows

[Del the cat]

I like to use the bark as natures strain gauge (assuming the sapwood is thin enough. Cracks should appear evenly all along the limb if it bending evenly (about every 4" or so.
It seems odd to me that it waited so long to pop off, maybe it's a long bow with a short draw and you aren't working the wood very hard?
I've never noticed a drop in weight 'cos it's always popped off long before I'm anywhere near full draw.
A nice old thin stripping knife under an edge will usually help pop it off.
Mind, having said all that, I do have on rough old scrap Yew bow where it stayed on, it was just a branch that I was messing wi .
Del

[DC]

I like to use the bark as natures strain gauge (assuming the sapwood is thin enough. Cracks should appear evenly all along the limb if it bending evenly (about every 4" or so.
It seems odd to me that it waited so long to pop off, maybe it's a long bow with a short draw and you aren't working the wood very hard?
I've never noticed a drop in weight 'cos it's always popped off long before I'm anywhere near full draw.
A nice old thin stripping knife under an edge will usually help pop it off.
Mind, having said all that, I do have on rough old scrap Yew bow where it stayed on, it was just a branch that I was messing wi .
Del

I wonder if Pacific hangs on to it's bark better(worse) than English although you've worked quite a bit of Pacific.

[Dances with squirrels]

I'm with Pearl, the first thing I do is remove the bark and inner bark... there may be wisps of the inner bark here and there in depressions, if I'm not thinning the sapwood, but it's little enough that I can completely read the stave, and lay it out accurately. I see no reason to leave the bark on once construction has began.

Pearl, I stopped at a friends house after work today and helped him follow the grain, for a centerline, on a really snakey osage stave. I really enjoy that part of bow making. Had to take it outside in the daylight to get it right. It's a lovely piece of Kansas osage.