Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: TheDukesArchers on September 14, 2014, 11:49:28 pm
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Alberta is quite a dry Provence compared to the pacific coast (where the yew comes from). I've heard from a prominent bowyer instruct that it is best to back all yew bows with silk or rawhide where the climate is dry and has low humidity. It is mandatory, but it helps in terms of a bows longlivety.
DA
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It seems to me I have heard of Yew bows being used at the salt flats for flight shooting, that's pretty dry
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It is dry here... But when you get your stave it will dry alot more... Extra backing not needed
Thanks Leroy
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Is your house humidified. If so just keep it inside until you re ready to use it. ;)
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I'm from Alberta and just finishing my 2nd yew bow.
My suggestions:
-get a good moisture detector.
-finish bow when moisture is above 5%><8%
-seal with outdoor urethane to seal in moisture.
-no need to back it then.
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What disadvantages would a rawhide or silk backng create? To be honest, I couldn't care if it's backed or not. To my mind it will still be a yew self bow.
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Is your house humidified. If so just keep it inside until you re ready to use it. ;)
Hey Pat,
House isn't humidified. I just payed a good deal for this stave so I can't have it breaking on me. Just need to do things right from the off.
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Wood doesn't hydrate or dehydrate over night. It takes a while so if you keep the bow in your house you could use it on the weekends without much change in the M/C. Build yourself a hickory bow. Hickory loves dry climates and has peak performance in dry conditions.
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You could build a "wet" box. A reasonably airtight box to keep it in. Put a bottle of water in it to raise the humidity and a good hygrometer to keep track of it.
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Stoker is from a dusty part of AB,so i'm sure it will work!get the tiller right and your off!
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I've only heard of backing them to cut down on kicks and dings hunting with them.
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It's just what I was told. I myself have never heard of backing yew as the sapwood is meant to do a pretty good job.
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Would backing with silk or rawhide Havana disadvantages? If it offers even a little bit more protection then is it not a good thing? Maybe it can slow the bow though?
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Sand the rawhide down like you were using it to Brain tan or use goat rawhide. You just need a thin layer for protection.
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If you want to play it safe back it with rawhide. Yew is great, very light but it has a reputation of increasing draw weight and suddenly breaking when its cold, and dry. I have read about this in old issues of Prim Archer.
It seemed to be more of a factor with narrow limbed elb. You could also make the limbs a couple of inches longer than your usual design, so it is under less stress, if you go into harsh conditions.
If it is going to be a hunting bow I would always back a yew bow to stop the sapwood getting dinged.
Hamish.
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My plan is to remove the bark and cambium, then get down to the growth rin I want (the most time consuming part in my opinion)
Seal the back with tung oil and leave for a few days, then apply the rawhide backing and leave for at least a week before further work.
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Maybe rawhide before you put any finish or oil on the bow?
Not 100%, but the oil may prevent your rawhide from sticking good
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Yes, put the rawhide down first before the finish.
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Yeah I was actually thinking about that. I've been advice to just work the belly into a rough shape first, which I think I shall do. I will leave the bark on for a few weeks to let the stave adjust to any moisture changes.
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The bark will slow down any change in m.c.
I would also back it with rawhide.
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I've been advised to get a moisture reader, and then finish the bow when it at ideal m/c. I will start work on the belly right away; just to get it down to nicer depth.
Where would be a good place to store the stave to prevent it becoming too dry?
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Inside your hydrated house.
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Stupid question, but how would I know if my house is hydrated enough? Are all homes hydrated?
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I've hunted the high desert with a yew selfbow. 12 deg. At night and high temps during the day. Never had a problem.
To back or not to back, that is the question. Lol
Whether it is nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of our fellow bowyers for backing a bow😂😂😂
Backed or unbanked yew makes a great bow in any climate:)
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Yew bows will shoot like a demon when they are dry but in my experience they also tend to break. Every single yew bow I have brought to the flight shoots with me has broken after drying out in my hot car for a few days. I would imagine that if the bows were built while very dry they may have held up.
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Clark Dennil once told me to use ski wax as a finish... the light green one for when it's ice on the slopes... Hand rubbed with a leather... It'll seal it and can be touched up easaly... Wouldn't really worry about it
Leroy
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I thought this issue was covered in one of the TBB volumes . Yew wood was safe at 8% MC , below that it and it may break . Alberta gets very dry in the winter , many homes have natural gas furnaces which suck the moist air out of the house and very dry air comes in to replace it, hence many homes have humidifiers. Interestingly local native woods are well suited for local humidity conditions for bows . Yew performs well in damp temperate areas. Keeping a yew bow inside a car in Utah for a few days and then shooting it there is asking for disaster ! So if you have a yew bow in a dry climate , keep the moisture level up .
Mongolia and other Central Asian countries also experience very low humidity in the winter , so low that composite bows would delaminate and break . The archers there built cabinets with meat in them where the bows were stored , the meat gave off moisture that the bows absorbed .
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The bow will be finished around February time, though I shall get the stave this week. What should be my first port of call.
I'm thinking of making out her ought belly dimensions and then putting it away until Feb.