Author Topic: A few yew sticks  (Read 12859 times)

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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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A few yew sticks
« on: August 18, 2012, 01:15:42 pm »
Chris gave me a yew limb form his stash last July  :-\. I just got to cutting staves out of it. I planned on one and got two. One is over 85 long and the other is about 62. Both are very clean. I have never touched the stuff until today so Im a tad gun shy about tearing into it. The longer one is evenly reflexed about 1 1/2" already. Great looking piece as far as I know? Im going to build my ol' standby flatbow unless somebody can convince me an ELB style would be a better yew hunting bow. I plan on 55 @ 28 and somehwere in the 64" ntn range. Enlighten me as you see fit, Im ignorant in the yew world.





 
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 RyanY

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2012, 01:30:14 pm »
Use the longer one for a warbow!  ;D

Offline fishfinder401

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2012, 01:32:23 pm »
go ahead and make a flat bow from the shorter one, but please don't do that to a piece of yew over 85 inches :'(....it was born to be a elb/warbow :'( :'( :'(
warbows and fishing, what else is there to do?
modern technology only takes you so far, remove electricity and then what

blackhawk

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2012, 01:35:22 pm »
 :-X ain't sayin a word n biting my tongue  :P  :laugh:

Offline Del the cat

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2012, 01:49:22 pm »
Yup, it's already been said, you don't often see a stave that long.
It would be criminal to saw 1/3 of it off.
Another reason is an ELB is slim so you may even get 2 out of it. One from each end overlapping in the middle. Don't risk spoiling it by being greedy, but if you lay out your first ELB carefully you may get a second or a kids bow out of the waste.
(I allow about 30mm x 30 mm at the grip and 20x20 at the tips when roughing out, but that's cutting outside the line)
OK. maybe make the one on the right bigger and the one on the left a kids bow... but it depends how big your hands are ::)
Del
« Last Edit: August 18, 2012, 01:56:33 pm by Del the cat »
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2012, 02:02:02 pm »
I have no problems cutting it to my usbale length. Hunting is number one for me. I do not do reinactments nor do I have 200 yard fields to watch an arrow sail. A warbow would never leave my rack Im afraid. I see the same thing you have drawn out Del. As you said I dont want to waste the whole stave trying to get two when I know it has one perfect stave in it. Im happy to have got two as I only expected one from the start. The other 62" piece will be a static recurve later this winter.
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 okie64

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2012, 02:36:39 pm »
Thats awesome Pd! I would love to get my hands on some yew. Im anxious to see what you think of it compared to other woods. At your pace I figure you should have those two bows finished up in an hour or two, hehehe. I have thought of makin a warbow myself, but like you Im pretty sure it would do nothing but hang on the rack and I have enough bows doing that already.

Offline fishfinder401

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2012, 02:42:03 pm »
I have thought of makin a warbow myself, but like you Im pretty sure it would do nothing but hang on the rack and I have enough bows doing that already.
thats why once yu make it you send it to someone who could use it ::) ;)
warbows and fishing, what else is there to do?
modern technology only takes you so far, remove electricity and then what

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2012, 02:43:30 pm »
Its an American Longbow. Just roughed it out. 67" ttt, 1 1/2" wide. I figure and ALB is somehwere between an ELB and a flatbow. Narrow with a formed grip.


Oh yah, if all I had was yew to work on my osage muscles would dwindle away. It doesnt even start to slow my saw or arms down. It seems very, very soft. I may gain some weight with this build    ;D
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 JW_Halverson

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2012, 02:52:13 pm »
That's some really pretty wood you got there Squirrel Drums.  If my climate weren't so dry that yew can't survive bending, I would be tempted to tell you that you don't deserve that wood and you should send it to me.

I really look forward to seeing that ALB in all stages of development.  Get out the camera, buddy!  Please!

You gonna sinew back it?  Sturgeon skins?  Sasquatch toenail clippings for tip overlays?  I can't wait to see!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2012, 03:16:15 pm »
Rawhide backed and buff horn tip overlays J-Dub. Probably skins to camo the rawhide as Im a hunter, its what I do and the only reason I build bows. Im afraid my passion to build would fall away fast if I couldnt hunt. Its all I think about 365 days a year.
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 SLIMBOB

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2012, 03:21:59 pm »
I read through a lot of posts just to find the stuff JW writes.  Keeps me smilin'.  Good luck with those staves.  I've never worked with Yew either.  Definitely on my bucket list.  Pretty high up.
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #12 on: August 18, 2012, 05:16:08 pm »
WOW  :o this stuff works like cookie dough. It practically falls off. The bow is floor tillered and ready to be reflexed and braced. I went with more of a rounded belly bow, about  1 3/8" wide now. Tips are fat still.....


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 Carson (CMB)

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2012, 05:35:11 pm »
Sweeet.  I will be watching this one. 
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline coaster500

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Re: A few yew sticks
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2012, 05:38:57 pm »
Looks good Drums...  got to watch out with Yew or it will disappear right under your tools :)
Inspiration, information and instruction by the ton and it's free,,, such a deal :)