Author Topic: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow  (Read 295686 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline sadiejane

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,030
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #210 on: March 27, 2012, 04:55:27 pm »
Outstanding work. 

I thank you for the time you put into creating these build alongs.   In case you are not sure, they are very much appreciated as they are a much better learning tool than any book could relay.  I anxiously await the next installment.  Thank you.

Russ

wholeheartedly agree!
thanks gordon
wild women don't get the blues

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,299
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #211 on: March 27, 2012, 06:40:38 pm »
Thank you all for the really nice comments.

I'll be posting another batch of pictures this weekend that show applying skins to the bow and wrapping the tips.
Gordon

Offline portlandfire

  • Member
  • Posts: 166
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #212 on: March 28, 2012, 05:10:56 am »
    Waiting is the hardest part. :P  But the wait is well worth it.  Thank you for all you put into these build alongs.  They are the best!

Offline Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,877
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #213 on: March 28, 2012, 11:53:10 am »
Nice build along Gordon.

I've never made a sinew backed Yew but the rumoured potential for the sinew to pull the sapwood apart is definitely there, I have seen it happen on other projects I have worked on.  It's not something that happens right away but something that can happen over time.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,299
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #214 on: March 28, 2012, 03:01:45 pm »
I hear you Marc. I became aware of the same rumors after I had backed the bow, but I could not find any reports where the rumor was substantiated. What I can say is that I modeled this bow closely after a bow that was reportedly constructed by Steve Alley. The bow was broken so I was able to deconstruct it and saw that the sinew was affixed to a thinned layer of sapwood. So I just did the same without thinking about it much.

In retrospect I might not make the same decision today. As for this bow we shall see what happens. If the backing holds, great; if not, then I will let everyone on this forum know and we’ll have learned something useful.
Gordon

Offline Lee Slikkers

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #215 on: March 28, 2012, 04:43:55 pm »
Gordon, could you add some sinew wraps around the bow at 4"-6" intervals along the limbs to possibly counteract any possible separation of the sap/heartwood?
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #216 on: March 28, 2012, 04:49:11 pm »
My money is on longevoity Gordon. Bet she lasts for decades.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,299
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #217 on: March 28, 2012, 05:53:33 pm »
Quote
Gordon, could you add some sinew wraps around the bow at 4"-6" intervals along the limbs to possibly counteract any possible separation of the sap/heartwood?

I could, but I'm curious now and would like to put this theory to a test. Of course if the backing survives that doesn't prove much other than this particular bow was resilent. But if the backing does fail by pulling up the sapwood, then that pretty much settles the question for me. To faciliate the test I'm going to run the bow through a "torture" test using my tillering tree. I figure if it survives 1,000 full draws it's probably fine. If not, well there's always next time...
Gordon

Offline Lee Slikkers

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #218 on: March 28, 2012, 06:18:01 pm »
I understand Gordon...all in the name of Science, right  >:D

Cheers!
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,299
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #219 on: March 28, 2012, 06:42:11 pm »
Science? Nah, I've gotten this far already -  I just feel like going for it. I'm betting she survives the test. So that makes 2 of us so far - shall we start a pool?
Gordon

Offline Lee Slikkers

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #220 on: March 28, 2012, 06:45:55 pm »
count me in the "Survival" Pool...
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,299
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #221 on: March 28, 2012, 06:48:18 pm »
And just to make things more interesting: Keenan, if this baby survives I'm betting that she slings an arrow further than anything your side brings to the competition in May. Let the games begin!  >:D
Gordon

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #222 on: March 28, 2012, 06:49:05 pm »
my money is on you Gordon, Bub
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Lee Slikkers

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #223 on: March 28, 2012, 06:51:58 pm »
Nothin' like a betting man with a little "swagger"... LOL    8)
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Bryce

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 3,125
  • Pacific Ghost Longbows
Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #224 on: March 28, 2012, 06:59:52 pm »
I'm betting on it survives.
Clatskanie, Oregon