Yew advice

[Jackpineboyz]

Hi, I’ve been following the PA forum for a while and thought it was time to join. I have been building for a while and have been on tradgang posting, but am definitely heading down the more primitive path.  Thanks for all the great information you guys share. 

I was just given a beautiful piece of yew that is 6” wide half log that is 43” long.  So far I’ve worked with hickory, elm, maple, ash and buckthorn.  I grabbed a piece of scrap 50” long with no conerning knots or defects as well that is 3/4” wide and 1 1/4” deep.  I’m going to build a little kids bow with the scrap to get a feel for the yew.  I am planning on flipping the tips with a bendy handle to get a feel for what it candle for bending and to do a test run flipping the tips and reflecting it.

Any tips or advice?  Is yew similar to hickory or other wisconsin woods to work?
Once I get a feel for the wood I’m hoping to make a west coast style short bow and a long bow with billets. Not so much a question a guess, just wanted to join up and start a little friendly conversation.

[Del the cat]

Yew isn't like anything else!
It's like two woods for the price of one, creamy smooth pale sapwood that feels a bit like Hazel and the crisp easily  worked heart wood.
Most heartwood is easy to work, but some can tear or split so watch out and switch to a rasp if that happens.
Build a kids bow from a scrap is a great way to get a feel for it.
Leave the back untouched if possible, but if the sapwood is too thick you can work it down to about 3/16" - 1/4" You don't have to be obsessive about following a ring, but try and make any violations run along the bow. I tend to clean up the back by degrees, so that by the time the bow is finished it is generally trying to follow a ring at least for the most part, or with violations running along or at oblique angles.
This Youtube video from my chanel about Yew growth rings, may be of some use... or not   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElP8l396qxM&t=9s
Del

[Pat B]

Listen to  Del. He'll set you on the right road.
 I would go for a bow spliced in the handle bow to get a good bow length for your draw length instead of a 43" bow...but that's just me. At 6" wide you should still be able to get a kids bow from the 6" half log.

[stuckinthemud]

You might well struggle to get the weight down enough for a kids bow, I had to try really hard to get the weight on a youth's bow down into the mid 20's.  Del is the expert on the stuff but I find it quite therapeutic following a ring on yew - the sapwood scrapes off very easily from ring to ring and following the swoops and hollows can be a nice way to while away an hour or so.