weird crack/toast?

[DuBois]

First yew ever. Billets and just under bark was this crack running from one side to other and not sure how deep but edge in fade (red line) looks about 1/4". Length of entire limb to just before tip splice. Grain on belly looks straight with limb and when I hatcheted profile I thought it naturally followed along with grain so didn't think this was a crack with the grain. It does have a dip in the back that corresponds to the crack.

Filled with cyano and plan to wrap with rawhide at fade and then do a lattice rawhide wrap similar to a Meare Heathe.

PS: I did try dry heat to bend tip and cracked that so used some old tips with overlays I saved from a failed osage bow and spliced them on. Turning into another un intentional designed frankenstein

[DC]

Does it go the full depth of the sapwood? I've never seem something like that. I've made about 30-40 yew bows.

[DuBois]

Not exactly sure. On the tip end I can barely see it but seems to be near full sap depth

[penderbender]

Was there any marks on the bark? I am with Don, I have never seen that. It looks like a saw kerf in the pic almost. If it dosnt go into the heartwood its probably fine. Very strange. Cheers- Brendan

[DC]

 I'm wondering if it isn't a fracture caused by a logging machine. Some Yew is gathered from slash piles and hasn't been treated nicely.

[DuBois]

Brendan, no noticeable marks on bark.
DC, that's what  wondered, if it wasn't somehow cracked during harvesting. I did send a text to the guy I got it from with a pic to see if he has any insight into it.

[mikekeswick]

Remove the sapwood and make a heartwood only bow. No way I would trust that wrapped or not.

[DuBois]

Hey Mike,
I left the bark on until after I hatcheted it down to near floor tiller and then rasped it even closer. got a couple of hatchet cuts too deep and by the time I evened it all up I was down to a minimum amount of heartwood left so I can't do the all heartwood.

thinking about tillering the final touches by sapwood removal to flatten it out a bit and if it makes it to about 20" draw I'll back with hide

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Would plaining it flat and giving it a hard back be an option?

Kyle

[High-Desert]

Very weird, never seen that either. Depending on how far you are along and how deep the crack is, you can just keep thinning the sapwood until the crack is gone or go the heartwood only route, but I wouldn't trust it. But of course sometimes it's fun to push the limits and see if these things will hold up, I've lucked out a few times with bows I thought were done for and proceeded anyway, and ended up with a shootable bow.

[Hamish]

I would remove the sapwood like Mike suggested, make a heartwood only bow or glue a hickory backing strip on.

[DuBois]

Sapwood removal is out due to thickness already. May try to take anything else from the backside in tillering though.

How could this be not with the grain? Just doesn't make sense.

This was sawn billets I bought with low crown. Could they have been not straight with grain when sawn and I not have known it.

First yew and rings are so thin; could grain appear to be straight down limb when I scrape belly and actually be run off the side?

[Pat B]

If those are sawed out billets I'd bet that is a check following the grain. Look at the discolorations, etc. They seem to be following the same course.

[PEARL DRUMS]

If those are sawed out billets I'd bet that is a check following the grain. Look at the discolorations, etc. They seem to be following the same course.

Exactly what it is. It wont crack across the grain, not even sure it can. That's the only drag to cutting yew straight. 

[PatM]

It's definitely following the grain.  The belly doesn't really reflect whether the bow is cut in a manner that straight lines a spiral.