drying time?

[coaster500]

I just came back from Idaho. I stayed at a friends house and he has a bunch of Yew logs that were cut down about 7 months ago. How long does it take for wood to dry enough for bow work? He has offered to bring me some if I want it on his next trip down. I might try to build a bow, I say try as I don't know if I have the skill to do it. I thought it would be interesting to try it from stump to shooter?

[George Tsoukalas]

I've made a couple of bows from yew but it was yew that was aged several years. I don't know if yew can be quick dried. Typically a stave would take 1 year for each inch of thickness. You may want to try some learning woods like hickory, oak or maple before cracking open a prime yew stave. My site has info. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[coaster500]

Your right George and it sounds like I'll have plenty of time to practice if it's going to take a few years of drying time. The only reason I was considering it is these a free logs, delivered and would have been chipped for particle board.

Should I split them into staves or seal and dry them whole?

Thank you for your help.

[Mark Smeltzer]

Depending on the environment it has been subjected to, you could have cracking already, (I'm assuming he did not seal the ends and split onto staves for you).
I have taken Yew from standing to a bow in as little as a month, that is roughing out, sealing, and then using a hot box.
I don't recommend this because I have also ruined one or two by drying them  too fast but I had plenty to play with and learn with.
I would treat it like most woods I wanted to minimize drying time on.........rough out a bow, seal the back and ends, I seal the whole bow when using the hot box. Put it on a caul of some sort the leave in a warm dry place. Depending on how warm and how dry, you could have it ready to work on in a month or two, considering that the Yew has been on the ground for seven months already. The stuff I was working with was fresh cut.

Mark

[coaster500]

Thanks George, Mark I'll inspect the logs for cracks when he brings them. I walk around and touched a couple that he is bringing and they looked fairly solid no cracking yet. He isn't coming for a month so I'll re-check them. None of them will be sealed when I get them and I hope they are still in good condition... This stuff is all new to me so we'll see  

[Mark Smeltzer]

I would split them and seal them as soon as i had my hands them. If they are already checked that is where I would start driving a wedge. Just how I do it, I'm sure there are other ways and opinions,

Mark

[snag]

Mark, would you split them AND debark them? Do you seal just the ends or the split side too...if debarked do you seal that side as well?

[Mark Smeltzer]

I normally leave the bark/skin on the Yew. If you do remove it then you need to seal the back also.
At a minimum I would split the logs into staves and seal the ends, store in a moderate temp, dry place.
Careful removing the bark, the first layer of sap wood may be the back of your bow. Or you may decide to go down a few rings based on the thickness of the sapwood.