Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on November 15, 2015, 05:15:54 pm

Title: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 15, 2015, 05:15:54 pm
I had this Yew stave I got in trade about 10 years ago sitting around always getting in the way.  It must still have been a bit wet when I got it as it took on a lot of deflex to the point of it looking as if it had been braced for years.  It also had a lot of knots, some of them fairly big.  I got tired of looking at it last month so I dragged it out and decided to make myself a Yew bow, all of the Yew bows I've ever made have been for other people.  It was close to 3" in width so I did get rid of many of the knots as I laid out the profile but not all of them.  An ALB is what I wanted to make so I roughed out the profile.  Then I took out my heat-gun and started taking out the braced profile using my localized heat process.  Took awhile but I finally got it straightened out, even gave it a bit of reflex.  I wasn't expecting much from the stave but it surprised me.  The bow is 67" long with 1 1/4" wide D section limbs and is tillered out to 28" where it pulls just over 50#.  I used  what is called Tried and True Finish from Lee Valley which is Polymerized Linseed and modified Pine sap, it took forever to cure.

Here's some pics

(http://i.imgur.com/0z1bXAs.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/TJgb6Kb.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/LvXMU5P.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/hyjuGSy.jpg)
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Ruddy Darter on November 15, 2015, 06:16:46 pm
That looks very nice Mark St Louis  8)



Ruddy Darter
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Tree_Ninja on November 15, 2015, 06:21:24 pm
Real nice. I like the ALB design. Finally one for yourself?

What was your overall opinion of the polymerized linseed? Is that different than the chemical dryers you find in the minwax linseed/tung mix? I am a lee-valley addict.....
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: bradsmith2010 on November 15, 2015, 06:34:28 pm
that turned out great congrats,, what a nice bow,,,I love to pull one out of the past make it work,, really fun,,  :)
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: blackhawk on November 15, 2015, 06:53:17 pm
Loverly...bet its nice n sweet to pull n release :)
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 15, 2015, 06:57:05 pm
Thanks guys

It is very nice Chris. 

The bow has about 1" of set but it has a surprising amount of string tension at brace none the less.  I had taken some pictures of the stave before I started work on it but the sd card in my camera crashed so I had to format it before I got the pictures off
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: JonW on November 15, 2015, 07:17:49 pm
Very nice bow Marc.
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: bowandarrow473 on November 15, 2015, 07:23:42 pm
Great looking bow.
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: BowEd on November 15, 2015, 07:42:27 pm
Very nice bow Marc.Like em like that.Bare bones.Sweet fun bow to shoot with for an afternoon.Good full draw picture too I might add.The one knot looks completely bored out and removed.An ALB.OK I'll bite I think I know what an ELB is[english long bow].What's the A stand for?Looks to be elliptically tillered.Forever to cure finish.Like a couple of days?
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: riverrat on November 15, 2015, 07:43:03 pm
nice bow, perfect tiller. Tony
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Aaron H on November 15, 2015, 08:38:55 pm
Awesome bow Marc, tiller looks really good
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Badly Bent on November 15, 2015, 08:41:59 pm
Excellent bow Marc, that full draw bend looks perfect.
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: DC on November 15, 2015, 08:44:17 pm
Very nice Marc, I've always been partial to bows that aren't "all tarted up"
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 15, 2015, 09:28:55 pm
Thanks guys

ALB stands for American Longbow
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: BowEd on November 15, 2015, 09:34:28 pm
lol.Makes sense.
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Bryce on November 16, 2015, 12:11:02 am
Very nice Marc !
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: wizardgoat on November 16, 2015, 01:06:04 am
Great looking bow Marc!
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: sieddy on November 16, 2015, 01:42:28 am
Simple and deadly. I really love the looks of that one and will keep looking at it when get round to my next Yew stave!  :)
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: bambule on November 16, 2015, 02:24:56 am
Nice  one.
I was also suprised about a normal yew stave I had which was tempered and after that it has highly string tension and a very good performance.
I think yew loves it to get heated up.

Greets
Cord
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Pappy on November 16, 2015, 06:09:09 am
Very nice bow Marc, simple and functional. Love shooting them kind of bows. Beautiful wood also. :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 16, 2015, 07:51:22 am
Thank you guys.

I don't like that finish for how long it takes to cure but it sure does bring out the colour of the Yew nicely.  The stave had about 30 rings per inch
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Carson (CMB) on November 16, 2015, 12:27:35 pm
Very nice Marc!
 Would love to see more of that hole in the limb.
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Del the cat on November 16, 2015, 01:00:09 pm
I love that style of Yew bow :).
My fave' field bow is that sort of shape.
Del
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 16, 2015, 01:27:03 pm
Actually there is no hole in the bow.  I'll post more pics
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Hans H on November 16, 2015, 04:25:45 pm
looks very nice sir
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 16, 2015, 04:33:45 pm
Here's what the major knots look like, top limb first then bottom.  Some of the knots don't go through to the back

(http://i.imgur.com/UcIW7Li.jpg)


(http://i.imgur.com/cVTlpBK.jpg)
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: simson on November 17, 2015, 03:24:35 pm
Classy looking stick with an excellent tiller
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: mullet on November 17, 2015, 09:45:25 pm
Man, I missed this one. That's a cool looking piece of wood and bow, Marc. And like Simon said, nice Tiller
Title: Re: Yew ALB
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 18, 2015, 07:32:21 am
Thanks Eddie.  I like it