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Author Topic: First Yew Bow  (Read 5362 times)

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Offline PaSteve

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First Yew Bow
« on: July 22, 2019, 05:42:56 pm »
    I've made a few bows from osage so I thought I'd attempt a yew bow. I managed to get my hands on a somewhat twisty yew stave with 2 long belly splits and a few knots. I wasn't sure I would get a bow from the stave but wanted the experience of working with yew. The stave was about 2 1/2" wide with one side having about  1/2" of sapwood and the other side 5/16". I drew out the bow trying to avoid the splits at the same time following the natural curves of the stave.
    After rough shaping I removed the bark and worked the sapwood down to about 1/4". It became very obvious I had violated various sapwood rings. After floor tillering it took about 5 or 6 heat straightening attempts to get the string centered through the handle. I was feeling pretty confident the stave would produce a bow so I added curly purpleheart overlays, tillered it to about 18" then glued some thin goat rawhide to the back. The rawhide may not have been necessary but I figured it was good insurance.
     I shot about 200 arrows over the course of a week and the tiller remained looking pretty good to me. I added a split timber rattler skin and an abalone shell arrow pass. Finished with 9 coats of tru oil then polished with pumice/oil slurry for a more satin look. Cork arrow shelf with dyed elk leather handle stitched with natural lace.
   Specs:  62 1/2" ntn, 51# @ 26",  8 strand FF string
   Thanks for looking. Any comments or criticism always welcome.20190722_143851-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_144818-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_143736-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_144918-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_143836-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_143929 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr20190722_144122 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr
         
        20190722_143703-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr
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"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline PaSteve

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2019, 05:44:04 pm »
Full Draw20190708_152657-1 (2) by Steve Woodruff, on Flickr
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"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2019, 06:44:25 pm »
That looks awesome Steve!  :OK
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"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

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Offline Pat B

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2019, 06:46:39 pm »
 8)   :BB   :OK
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bassman

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2019, 07:51:58 pm »
Nice looking bow their Steve.Never had a chance to build a Yew bow.Looks like it will be a good shooter. Nice detail work also.
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Offline burchett.donald

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2019, 04:52:29 am »
Steve,
           Love that Canebrake/Timber skin!..Really nice craftsmanship on your build...
                                                                                                                             Don
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Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2019, 04:57:30 am »
That's my fave style of Yew bow (I'll pretend I didn't see the shelf  ;))
Nice work :)
Del
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Online Eric Krewson

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2019, 05:30:31 am »
It could be the picture but the top limb looks stiff. Sometimes an angled picture throws everything off.
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2019, 05:30:52 am »
Really nice!
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Offline StickMark

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2019, 09:33:28 am »
Nice tiller.
 I see now how "it is done," and I have my new smartphone out, comparing your tiller to mine.   
I'd hunt with it.

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Offline woodstone

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2019, 10:28:07 am »
Looks good, nice job Steve! Finish work is excellent and I know it's a shooter. That will work in the deer woods this season.
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Offline Stixnstones

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2019, 02:46:10 pm »
Great lookin bow...love everything about it
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2019, 03:26:21 pm »
That's a very nice looking bow!
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I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline PaSteve

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2019, 05:18:46 pm »
Upstate, Pat B, Bassman, Slimbob, Stixnstones & Outlaw thanks for the compliments. Donald, that was my first time working with canebreak skins. I really like the way they turned out. They seem to be a little thicker than other types of skins I've worked with. They'll make for great camo in the whitetail woods. Del, I contemplated not adding a shelf, but for hunting purposes I prefer one just in case I get lazy and want to hang my bow with a nocked arrow. Eric, quite possibly the top limb is a little stiff. I'm just learning how to use my gizmo and it helped a lot. StickMark, get yourself a gizmo and your tillering skills are bound to improve. Woodstone, I'm hoping to find out just how well it will work in the deer woods. Compliments coming from the experienced bowyers on this site mean an awful lot to me. Thanks.
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"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline Will B

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Re: First Yew Bow
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2019, 06:18:14 pm »
Nice looking bow Steve. I love the skins and your tip overlays. Great job!
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