more yew questions

[Lee Lobbestael]

Ok so I got my yew billets spliced and glued with a v splice and 2ton epoxy. the pieces fit fairly well. Not perfect but I hope they will work. Added a 3/8" dowel through the splice for insurance.

while working the back down to 1/8" of sap wood I did create one tiny island of heart wood on one limb. Should I wrap this with sinew or will it be fine?

Also there is some twist to the stave that I will need to remove. Does yew respond well to direct heat like from a heat gun? or would I be better off steaming it or something?

[Shaun]

Heat gun works fine on yew.

Next time leave 1/4" of sapwood.

No sinew wrap.

My first several yew bows blew up. I mean literally. Biggest pieces less than a foot long. I still wince when I do the first long draw by hand. Not sure what I do differently now, but must have learned something from those explosions because now yew works fine for me.

Have fun and consider wearing a motorcycle helmet for the first few shots.

[Steve B.]

An 1/8" is pretty small and not much room for error.  And I don't understand a sinew wrap for cross-grained weakness.  I would rawhide back the whole thing even without the island showing.

[Lee Lobbestael]

Ok. How do you guys glue on rawhide? Soak it in water and then dry it with a towel before gluing it on?

[Shaun]

Rawhide is like heavy snake skin - same method with TB glue. I like to wrap rawhide with gauze to allow drying after initial smoothing by hand. Make sure there are no wrinkles in the rawhide as you wrap.