Last year while working on my doctoral dissertation, the chair of my committee retired. I needed a new committee member and one of the members here really came through for me. So I decided to make him a selfbow as a show of appreciation. I have had a nice piece of Yew laying around for several months and I finally got it to where I want it.
Its 69 in Nock to Nock.
pull 44 at 28. The guy it is for pulls to 29.5. It is tillered out to 31 just to be safe.
I really like Yew. It was pretty easy to work. Way softer than strawberry guava! It took some set, but the piece of wood had some natural deflex on both ends about mid limb... Ill attach a pic or two.
Tips and shelf are made from goat horn from one I got couple years back, the outside of the horn is blond which I tried to keep a little bit of. The strike plate, or arrow pass is Kala fish skin, it is tough stuff, they use it for drums here in Hawaii.
The finished bow next to the other half of the log. Yew tell me if it took too much set.
Handle
Unbraced:
Braced:
Full Draw:
The back is natural. I just let the bark pop off as I tillered and then sanded down the cambium until I liked the look.
Msturm