Yew sapling bow

[meanewood]

Does anyone have any experience making a bow from a yew sapling?

I have roughed out the sapling and the majority of the belly will be sapwood, the heartwood core only appears in the last 12-14 inches of the limbs.

I have made the belly flat to help resist the compressive forces.

The current string alignment is at the edge of the bow center so I'm not sure whether to correct it with heat or will this adversely affect the sapwood on the belly.

[DC]

Never with anything small enough that there was no heartwood on the belly. Mine are all around 40#. I imagine yours is a tad heavier than that.

[Del the cat]

I'd have left some heartwood and reduced the sapwood to match.
Del

[meanewood]

OK, I think I'll heat treat the belly to adjust the string alignment and hopefully harden the sapwood.

[wizardgoat]

I’ve made many yew sap bows, but like DC, all have had heartwood on the belly. Some, the sapwood curves around the sides of the limb, and I try to leave a swell of heartwood in the centre.
I always aim for less than 40” on these kinds of bows, I feel like yew bows with more than 50% sapwood maybe take more set, but that’s more of a hunch than real fact maybe.

[kbear]

I wish!.... I do have a three Australian species saplings awaiting testing though. Not really expecting much based on past experience.......

From what I have read however, Yew sapwood does not make for a great belly!

So, you're going to have outer limbs that are stiff in comparison to to the inner. Leave the inners thick. Watch for hinges. Expect some set.

Maybe glue in some compression wood.....