New member introduction + Making my 1st Welsh Yew Longbow and need some help :)

[SilurianLeuca - Dean]

Hi chaps im Dean from a 'not so sunny' Swansea in South Wales uk.  How you doing 

I am fulfilling a life long ambition of making my first proper Welsh Yew Longbow.  I've had my eyes open for the last 2 years or so for a nice piece of Welsh yew.  They are very few and far between and it's been a right old task of finding a suitable piece that is long enough without too many imperfections.  They all tend to be crooked old beasts with no straights whatsoever.

A tree surgeon buddy of mine put me on to this other tree surgeon friend of his who had a few pieces of Welsh Yew that he had cut down in Carmarthenshire 15 years previous.  I shot up his yard and found a few lengths which were quite crooked (big surprise right) and had some nasty splits running the length of them.  He said they had been under his dry but open shed for the 15 years or so.  From the bunch that he had i found a piece i could possibly get a 5ft bow from.  I squeezed an extra inch from that prediction and got a 61nner    There's also a piece where i can make a 100mm mini Welsh Longbow for my 4yr old daughter.  He also gave me a horn that he had butchered around the same time, all for a tenner 

Here is the pick below of the elusive, enigmatic beast that it is.  I have roughed out the shape which is currently D section, 27mm wide centre @ 30mm depth, gently tapering averagely down to 14mm wide tips @ 15mm depth.  There is currently a 10mm set at the widest point. 

Before i start tillering and possibly making a complete tit of myself i would love to hear any suggestions and tips that will help me get to the, hopefully successful finished article.  It's turned out to be a beautiful piece of Yew although it does have a couple of vertical hairline cracks in the centre of the sap wood a few inches in length. 

I whipped a bit of bailing chord on it today and at 70lb it's giving me just a 2.5 inch brace height    This is my first ever bow and only know the basics so any tips i would appreciate immensely. 

Thanks in advance

Dean 

[Stefan]

If I was that determid to make that stave into a bow I would set it aside and practise on wood that is better avaible. I would also make a tillering gizmo. You should also try to determine the moisture content, it would be a shame if you start tilleringwhen its not complety dry.

[mikekeswick]

Welcome 
Where to start?!
Firstly just because the wood was cut 15 years ago does not mean it dry enough to be a bow. Most wood that is sat outside here (I live near Durham up north) in the Uk will likely not be below 15% moisture content. However you have roughed it out so as long as you keep it inside it will dry pretty quickly. So don't bend it far for a week or so.
The checks in the sapwood shouldn't be a problem - run some thin superglue into them.
You need to remove some thickness to get it bending (obviously!). The dimensions you've given so far show that it is thicker than it is wide, with this sort of bow it should be wider than it is thick everywhere otherwise you will get lateral stability problems. Anyway as you start tillering it just leave the width alone and this will fix itself.
What draw weight and draw length do you want to get out of it? As this is your first bow I would recommend going for around 50lb and a max draw of 28 inches. The further you draw and the higher the weight the harder it will be to tiller.
Regarding tillering the first thing you are trying to do is establish the thickness taper. This needs to follow any humps and bumps on the back. I would suggest going from 1 inch thick at the handle down to 1/2 inch at the nock. Make this as even as humanly possible!
Do this and then post some more pics.

[SilurianLeuca - Dean]

Some great advice there chaps, thank you 

Hi mike, my dad was from up your way, trimdon grange i think, small world.

Im not quite sure what draw weight to aim for, i was kinda hoping to get as much out of it as possible as i don't think i'm gonna find another stave any time soon.  Im quite broad so i'm guessing it shouldn't take me long to get a hold of it.  Maybe make a lighter one to practice on if i struggle with it.   My draw is around 28 inches so i thought i'd tiller it to 30 just incase one of the lanky lads break it    I've already made my tillering stick ready to go.  I'll leave it for a couple of weeks as you suggest.  How do i determine the moisture content? 

I was wondering if there was some sort of dimensions guide to the English/Welsh Longbow, to determine some sort of predicted draw weights etc.

[Joec123able]

There's really no way to check the moisture content without using a moisture meter. I would guess the wood after 15 years would probably be a little to dry but it depends on the moisture content of the air where you live

[mikekeswick]

There's really no way to check the moisture content without using a moisture meter. I would guess the wood after 15 years would probably be a little to dry but it depends on the moisture content of the air where you live

About 70% - 90% rh......right now

[mikekeswick]

Moistue content without a moisture meter.....weigh your stave now, as accurately as possible. Mark this weight on it and then weigh it everyday and mark on the new weight. Once it hasn't changed for a few days you should be ok.
Wooden bows,dimensions and draw weights don't really work! Wood varies in properties vastly even when you are tsalking about the same species.
You must decide on a draw weight so that you can tiller it properly.
I would strongly suggest buying the Bowyers Bible vol 1 and read the tillering section. Trust me it will help! Tillering is a lot about feel and that only comes with time but setting out on the right foot is invaluable.

Yes I know Trimdon. There is plenty of yew around here if you know where to look. I can always help you out if you need another stave.

[WillS]

Nice looking stave! Mike mentioned keeping the back and belly parallel but just to add to that and be specific to your stave, make sure that lumpy bit at the bottom of the stave in your picture is handled carefully.  You want the belly to follow the dip there, not remain straight as it is in the photo.

The mistake I kept making when I started out was not being totally sure of a draw weight to aim for, and hoping to get a heavyish one. That meant the bows I made were invariably overbuilt and badly tillered as the design wasn't suited for the weight.  If its your very first bow, don't try and get 70# or something out of it, as it's likely to fail purely through inexperience.  Aim for about 45#, keep the design suitable for that weight and take care removing wood while tillering.  With a stave like that you could end up with a gorgeous practical longbow, and thats far better than a messed up heavy longbow!

Best of luck, post loads of pics and ask loads of questions and you should be fine!

[SilurianLeuca - Dean]

Great advice cheers guys.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress

many thanks
dean

[DarkSoul]

I'll keep this short, since a lot of valuable advice has already been given.

Your stave is only 61" nock to nock, right? That is short. About ten inches too short for a classic English Longbow! You will not reach a 30" draw length, nor should you desire that. With your level of expertise (beginner) and the variables given, I would advise you to aim for a draw length of 26". Draw weight can be 70#, but you might not be able to pull that? What's the fun in making a bow that is too heavy for you?
Since this yew stave is very precious to you, there is absolutely no room for screwing up. Since this is your first bow, there WILL be screw ups. I would therefore say you should put this stave aside and start practicing on cheap and accessible boards. With a few board bows under your belt, you'll be ready to tackle this one of a kind stave. You'll be really sad to see how you messed up that beautiful stave when you don't practice first. Trust me; been there, bought the shirt.
I'll emphasize what WillS said; you must follow every undulation and bump of the back of the bow, and transfer that to the belly as well! You need a continuous thickness taper all the way down along the limbs. Not a collection of high spots and deep valleys, as it stands now. Take a caliper and meticulously follow the profile of the back on the belly as well.
Do those small cracks in the sapwood run off the sides of the bow? If they do, there is a need to worry. If they don't wander off the bow, squeeze some thin superglue in them and don't worry.

[burn em up chuck]

     welcome, let the therapy begin. let the tillering of your soul begin     life is good  man all the good stuff is already taken 

                                                                               chuck

[SilurianLeuca - Dean]

lol chuck,  cheers guys, cant thank you enough.  As i mentioned i will leave it another week or so. I am going to head for a 50lb draw at 28" to be on the safe side as mike suggested.  Hopefully it won't settle much below 45lb as wills mentioned.

A couple of the sap wood cracks do run off the side a little and the 2 or three others are just 2 or 3 inches long in the middle of the sap.  Gonna do the superglue trick and hope for the best 

I will post some pics of the final result for sure, broken or not lol.  I'm a stubborn b@$tarD when it comes to challenges.  I have recently finished building my house from from start to finish without a trade, good old internet and a bit of 'percy' finally saw me through     "How hard can a bow be i thought"  a lot bloody trickier than first thought.  I am enjoying it more and more.  What have i let myself in for, i feel another addiction coming on 

cheers guys
dean

[JW_Halverson]

lol chuck,  cheers guys, cant thank you enough.  As i mentioned i will leave it another week or so. I am going to head for a 50lb draw at 28" to be on the safe side as mike suggested.  Hopefully it won't settle much below 45lb as wills mentioned.

A couple of the sap wood cracks do run off the side a little and the 2 or three others are just 2 or 3 inches long in the middle of the sap.  Gonna do the superglue trick and hope for the best 

I will post some pics of the final result for sure, broken or not lol.  I'm a stubborn b@$tarD when it comes to challenges.  I have recently finished building my house from from start to finish without a trade, good old internet and a bit of 'percy' finally saw me through     "How hard can a bow be i thought"  a lot bloody trickier than first thought.  I am enjoying it more and more.  What have i let myself in for, i feel another addiction coming on 

cheers guys
dean

Yup, another junkie hitting the skids.  Too late for this one!

[SilurianLeuca - Dean]

Haha your absolutely right pal!  Too late for decisions, i'm hooked! 

If the north koreans ever invade us here in Wales they'll be met with our broadheads!  Who needs neuclear weapons, tanks and guns, bows are much more fun!