Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Frodolf on January 17, 2017, 08:15:55 am
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A while back a woman contacted me and asked if I was interested in some yew wood. Her father, she said, had sawed up yew trees into nine big boards over 25 years ago which had been lying in a barn ever since. She sent me some pics and it looked right to me, though I have very limited experience of yew. Either way, she wanted to get rid of them and I got the boards shipped to my doorstep for a little more than what a similar batch of pine boards would cost.
The yew I've seen that grows around here rarely grows to be over 6-7" in diameter. These boards are up to 10-12" wide at the widest. And the trees must've been really straight, which ir also rare. It's certainly a soft wood but not pine, juniper or spruce, at least not of any variety I'm familiar with. The bark is like none I've ever seen. The boards are about 80" tall and 1,6" thick.
So, what I wonder is if this really is yew, and if that is the case, is it any good? I'd be happy if I can make use of some of the heartwood and back it with WO or maybe even boo and get ELB style bows in the 30-40# region. If not, if it's no good for bows, I've been meaning to build myself a fine looking dinner table and some other furniture, so it's not that great a loss. So what's the verdict?
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h60/markusnystrom82/bild%202%207_zpsnzmihkkb.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/markusnystrom82/media/bild%202%207_zpsnzmihkkb.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h60/markusnystrom82/bild%201%207_zps8yeavdv0.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/markusnystrom82/media/bild%201%207_zps8yeavdv0.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h60/markusnystrom82/bild%203%205_zpsxwil3nvg.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/markusnystrom82/media/bild%203%205_zpsxwil3nvg.jpg.html)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h60/markusnystrom82/bild%204%203_zpsk255htuf.jpg) (http://s61.photobucket.com/user/markusnystrom82/media/bild%204%203_zpsk255htuf.jpg.html)
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Looks like Hemlock. Where are you located?
I had a farm owner tell me that they had yew on their property because a ministry of Natural Resources guy had told them so. They then showed me their stand of Hemlock.
There was actually some yew in the forest but it was the Canadian form that grows as a low shrub. This variety is actually called "ground Hemlock" by some.
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I thought it might be too good to be true... I'm located in Sweden.
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One thing I forgot to mention was that the wood has a typical pine-ish/orange kind of smell when being worked. A quick read on the wood datebase says none of the three different species of hemlock they have listed have any characteristic odor... ?
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Difinitly not yew. I agree PatM, probably hemlock. Although I'm not family with the tree in your area.
I've seen many people confuse hemlock and redwood for yew.
Eric
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Is Hemlock planted in Sweden?
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It's possible hemlock is planted, in gardens and such. It does not grow in the wild. Nor does redwood. Looking at pictures of hemlock, I can certainly understand how someone might confuse it with yew. The needles do like alike. Not long ago I had a man try to sell me a huge grand fir as a yew tree, his determining it was yew was based only on the needles...
You absolutely sure it can't be yew? Like, not even of the poorest quality you ever saw? In that case, I'll make myself that dinner table without a speck of guilt :)
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Just from seeing the bark it's not yew. It looks like a fir of some sort. Cheers- Brendan
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I'm with Brendan. Fir of some sort.
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1. This no yew :-\
2. Attention: bugs inside ???
3. I'm pretty sure this is pinus cembra
greets!
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Looks like a type of pine or fir.
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Had it been yew, it would have been such a bargain that future bowyers would have written songs about the deal. It was a long shot. :)
Thanks for your input!
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Should make some nice furniture. ;)
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Should make some nice furniture. ;)
make you a nice heavy solid table!
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That's fir