170lb MR79A0807 replica

[WillS]

MR79A0807 is the Mary Rose bow I copy for all my heavy bows, as it's one I've handled and inspected personally, and taken measurements of that are more accurate than those in Weapons Of Warre.

Over the past year or so I've made a number of copies of this bow, all from yew harvested from the same tree at a nearby school.  Some of them have been posted in here, but the weight range goes from 130lb right up to this one at 170lb despite them all being identical (within 2mm) in dimensions.

This particular stave was one of the bad ones, full of cracks and already deflexed so I took it to a recent living history event to fiddle away with an axe and get people interested in making bows.  When I got it back home I decided to rough out another 0807 bow on it, and it ended up being a really nice one.  It took maybe 1" of set at around 29" which is where I stopped tillering, and it'll be shot at just over 30" when it gets it's first outing.

Low ring count, lots of cracks and pins and knots and generally a fairly average piece of English yew.  It would be interesting to see what difference the really good dark brown English yew made at the same dimensions.

[DC]

It's a beauty! Can't imagine 170#

[FilipT]

Some basic dimensions?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Beautiful bow!! I love the simplicity and elegant look of these bows. You’ll have to let us know how it shoots.

I’m curious. With the different end draw weights, even though there from the same tree, do they have a similar mass or are the a bit different in density causing the massively different draw weights?
I’m looking forward to turning the 1 piece of yew I have into one of these Mary rose bows.

Kyle

[youngbowyer33]

Looks fantastic

[jeffhalfrack]

I just love the history side  of this thanks ,,,it is awesome JeffW

[Ryan Jacob]

That’s what you call a shoulder breaker!

[wizardgoat]

Nice! Did you leave the sapwood alone? Or take the dips down?

[Bob W.]

Beautiful Wills, love the side nocks!

[meanewood]

Hi Will
Still making great bows, that ones a monster!

I'd like to hear your opinion on the previous estimations of the draw weights of the 'Mary Rose' bows based on your experience working with English Yew?

For example, if this bow came in at 170lbs, would the original made from denser, high altitude Yew been substancialy heavyer?

[WillS]

Thanks for the comments guys.  I'll try and answer everything!

Filip - it's 39mm X 35mm in the handle, and follows the usual MR two-stage width taper.

Kyle - they're all very similar in mass, no obvious difference in density between the heaviest and lightest.  If anything the lighter one actually weighs more, but it does have lots of large knots.

Ryan - I always take the sapwood right down to about two rings, as per the originals.  I don't usually worry about violating rings (again as per the originals - they blast through ten or more rings in very small areas on many of the bows) but on this one I did follow a vague ring purely for aesthetics.

Stuart - that's a discussion that'll get all sorts of "experts" chewing through their keyboards so I'll leave it alone if that's ok 

I wanted to add that Joe Gibbs kindly shot this yesterday, and sent a Westminster Abbey arrow (which for those who don't know is only 28 7/8" long) 267 yards.  It's possible that with better conditions and a full length 30.5" livery arrow it'll be capable of quite an impressive distance.

[FilipT]

Tnx for answer. Looks really amazing with that coating, grain really popped out! Is two stage taper the following?

4" long parallel staggered center section that tapers to measurement that is 7" away measured from the tips; the last 7" tapers rapidly to tips.

[WillS]

It's more like 8" parallel, then 25" tapering gently and then 5" tapering more heavily.

[FilipT]

Aha, tnx. I watched videos from this guy (Nick Birmingham) here: https://www.youtube.com/user/bigbowbrum
I made an error when I wrote what I think dimensions were. He is making 12" parallel staggered center section and not 4" what I thought.