Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Weylin on March 04, 2012, 10:42:21 pm

Title: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Weylin on March 04, 2012, 10:42:21 pm
30 years ago my dad was a post grad student in N. California. He found a stand of yew trees high in the coast range. He cut a couple trees and quickly learned how heavy yew was as he carried them back down the mountain through knee deep crusty snow. He started making a long bow out of one of the staves but ran into some difficulty and there it sat for 30 years. Recently he moved out to W. Oregon to live near me and my family. He gave me the half made bow and the two staves that he had left from his haul. I finished tillering the bow that he started and this is the result. After I finished it, I regifted it to him as a welcome to Oregon present. There are a couple of qualities that aren't ideal but I couldn't do much about them given how little wood I had to work with when I got it. the sap wood is about 1/2" thick and I couldn't reduce it because the bow was too close to the target weight and still needed tiller corrections. This means that the heart wood gets pretty darn thin at the tips. Aesthetically I would have narrowed the outerlimbs and tips more but it was already to weak out there to begin with so I had to leave them alone and focus on the inner limbs. But aside from these details I'm quite please with how it turned out. It is 67" ntn, around 45# at 28". The tip overlays are ebony. Thanks for looking. Any comments or critiques are welcome.  :)

(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4816.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4817.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4818.jpg)(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4819.jpg)(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4820.jpg)(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4821.jpg)(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4822.jpg)(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4823.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4824.jpg)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/olivewn/DSCN4831.jpg)
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: coaster500 on March 04, 2012, 11:15:03 pm
I think that is pretty darn cool Weylin...  to build a bow from wood cut and started by your dad, I mean that is cool...  Looks like a real nice shooter to!!!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: vinemaplebows on March 04, 2012, 11:23:11 pm
Very, very nice...  :D
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: ErictheViking on March 04, 2012, 11:37:02 pm
You did your dad proud with that one I think. sweet lines and great job on the tips.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Weylin on March 04, 2012, 11:57:26 pm
Thanks for the kind words.  :D
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Cameroo on March 05, 2012, 12:03:01 am
Good story, good pictures, and great bow!  Man, I want to move to Oregon!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Elktracker on March 05, 2012, 12:49:55 am
Great job weylin! Thats awsome and you definately did that wood justice! I bet your dad is happy!


Josh
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: country on March 05, 2012, 01:41:22 am
very cool....!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Gordon on March 05, 2012, 01:41:34 am
Weylin, I am so pleased what you did with that piece of wood. She's a terrific bow and I'm sure your dad is proud to have her.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: portlandfire on March 05, 2012, 02:35:24 am
  Congratulations.  A Beautiful job on a piece of family history.  Your dad is proud!
Dave H.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: medicinewheel on March 05, 2012, 04:43:59 am
COOL!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: soy on March 05, 2012, 04:52:04 am
Really enjoy a great story with a great bow...good job ;)
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Del the cat on March 05, 2012, 07:48:39 am
Nice bow. After all that time it was just dyin' to become a bow.
Del
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: lesken2011 on March 05, 2012, 09:13:00 am
I bet it brings back a lot of memories for him, Weylin. Great job!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 05, 2012, 09:35:05 am
Very cool story and bow Weylin. I love yew wood's color.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: rps3 on March 05, 2012, 10:19:23 am
Great story and beautiful bow too.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: TurtleCreek on March 05, 2012, 10:31:35 am
Very nice, all around a beautiful bow.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: mikekeswick on March 05, 2012, 10:52:46 am
Nice bow and a nice thought. Congrats.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Sidewinder on March 05, 2012, 12:12:47 pm
Good story and a really nice bow. Thanks for sharing it.   Danny
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: druid on March 05, 2012, 04:55:58 pm
Very interesting story and good bow!
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Steve Milbocker on March 05, 2012, 05:20:59 pm
That wood sat there for 30 years waiting for you to give it life. Great story and a great bow.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Badger on March 05, 2012, 05:36:16 pm
  Great story and very nice bow, would like to see a pic of pops shooting the bow if you can get one.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Blacktail on March 05, 2012, 09:52:33 pm
that is sweet..i have to say that justice has been done..john
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: sweeney3 on March 05, 2012, 10:10:25 pm
What a kharma job!!!!  You guys take that stick to the woods!  Nice.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: MoNative on March 05, 2012, 10:44:57 pm
Lucky him! ;)
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: swamp monkey on March 05, 2012, 10:55:01 pm
thanks for sharing that story and the bow.  Great stuff.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: juniper junkie on March 05, 2012, 11:30:32 pm
very nice job, and a great compliment to your father.
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Keenan on March 05, 2012, 11:49:58 pm
Weylin, Congratulations. That came out fantastic.  I'm sure he will be pleased.  Very impressive tiller
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: criveraville on March 05, 2012, 11:53:01 pm
Very nice!thats a family heirloom there.

Cipriano
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: rossfactor on March 06, 2012, 01:21:49 am
See, this is what is so cool about PP, getting to hear and see stories like this.

Gabe
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: criveraville on March 06, 2012, 01:25:25 am
Where in North Cal? I spent a few years in Redding.

Cipriano
Title: Re: Yew Longbow for my Father
Post by: Weylin on March 06, 2012, 03:17:17 am
Thank you all for the kind words. It felt good to finish that bow for him. Hopefully he can put down his f@#$@%ss bow long enough to shoot it some.  ;)

@Cipirano, My dad was doing work out of UC Davis. i think he was in the Mountains north of San Francisco when he found the yew. I was born in Woodland around the same time so I don't remember much.  ;)