What's your opinion of Pacific Yew limb cores?

[Holm-Made]

Yew is prettier and you will not notice a difference in a thin limbed bow like a R/D longbow or recurve.  In a deep cored straight limbed bow you may noticed a slight difference in core woods.

[yaderehey]

Originally posted by monterey:
 

 The core is much different than laminations, laminations are there for looks only the core wood is the working part of the limb.

How would you describe the distinction(s) between cores and laminations? [/b]

I took this to refer to thin veneers that are added just for looks.  Like many bowyers who use actionwood limb cores will put a thin veneer of fancy wood over the core and under clear glass.  I guess technically those thin veneers are not considered part of the limb core.  But often that pretty wood is part of the limb core.  I've had a few good looking red elm limbs and also some other types of core wood limbs under clear glass.  And in those cases the wood you were seeing under the clear glass is one of the core laminations.

[monterey]

I understand that and was trying to determine how the the terminology was being used by the gentleman who made the original statement.

It would be hard to find a glass bow without laminations.  The core is composed of laminations.

Was trying to bring clarification to the topic for the benefit of readers who may not understand the terminology.

[Straitshot]

McDave,

I believe what is referred to as vertically stacked limb laminations are composed of laminations which are not a single thin strip if tapered wood the width and length of the limb, but are numerous narrow strips laminated together to make a single tapered limb lamination. These laminations are often referred to as the limb core.

You can see this vertically stacked composition in action boo limb laminations and also some maple limb laminations which I believe they refer to as action wood laminations.

I think in most cases the very thin ornate wood veneer you see on many bows today offer little if any performance to the limb unless they are a thicker viable lamination such as Yew, Tonkin Cane, and what is sometimes referred to as dirty Bamboo, etc. and not just a very thin veneer basically for esthetic purposes.

I have had bows with a very thin Yew veneer over a bamboo core.

[joe munno]

try pacific yew and bamboo together nice shootin

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by monterey:
I understand that and was trying to determine how the the terminology was being used by the gentleman who made the original statement.

It would be hard to find a glass bow without laminations.  The core is composed of laminations.

Was trying to bring clarification to the topic for the benefit of readers who may not understand the terminology.

Thanks for attempting to clarify. What I meant is that in the very center of the limb are layers of limb core material. Bamboo, Yew, Maple... Then you have the next layer of veneer lams that we all see when we look at the belly of back of the limb. Then you have the glass layer over the veneer lams.

I hope no one feels I'm being condescending. That's not my intention, I'm just trying to clarify my point. When I said core wood, I think I didn't explain myself well. It sounded like core wood was a solid material.

Nope, understood you.  Yew will notice more of the effects of the yew, when you get a yew core longbow with the least amount of glass.  To be honest, I shot a yew cored recurve and could not tell that it was yew. I shot a third or fourth generation yew self bow with sinew backing, the most perfect yew billet that I thought was possible.  I tried to trade a Schulz for it, no go, I offered mucho bucks, no go.  The sweetest  shooting bow that I ever shot.

[monk]

I have always been under the impression that almost ALL natural benefits of the wood species are 'sawn out' when making most limb lams. Very different for self-bows

[Danny Rowan]

McDave,

several pieces of wood glued together in a vertical stack, then the core is sawn from that. Verses gluing the pieces together and cutting the core horizontally. In other words the stack is vertical when the core is cut from it. At least that is how Bill Howland explained it to me a long time ago.

[IdahoCurt]

I love Yew!
  my quickest bows are cored with Yew.I have not found a lighter core material and I've weighed it next to identical laminations of foam,bamboo(actionboo) and maple.
Bamboo in it's natural form,not actionboo might be the best in terms of lightest limb mass.

[wingnut]

I agree with Curt.  It's a great fast and light core wood.  My only problem is it's so toxic that I can't work with it at all.  Gotta sell the planks I have in the wood shed.

Mike

[Learner]

Originally posted by joe munno:
try pacific yew and bamboo together nice shootin

I asked Craig at HHA about his personal bow.  It is yew & bamboo, what HHA calls a "Halfbreed".  That's what I would like to order for my next Hill.

Frank

[NBK]

Originally posted by Learner:
 

Originally posted by joe munno:
try pacific yew and bamboo together nice shootin

I asked Craig at HHA about his personal bow.  It is yew & bamboo, what HHA calls a "Halfbreed".  That's what I would like to order for my next Hill.

Frank [/b]

Best shooting longbow I own is yew and boo.

[Learner]

Thanks for the feedback, Mike!

[Doug S]

All Yew and and Yew and Bamboo. My favorites also.
I have only used English Yew though. It is soft on the edges and dings easier. But its worth it. I first noticed the Yew shooting an Abbott years ago. Didnt know it was toxic to work with.    :confused:    :confused:

[wingnut]

Doug,

Be very careful when working with yew.  Micky Lotz ended up in the hospital for a week as a result of respiratory poisoning.  I get very sick anytime I'm exposed to the dust.

have you seen the damage that Japanese yew is doing in Idaho.  People are planting it and animals eat it and die very quickly.  Lost a bunch of antelope and elk recently.

Mike

[TOEJAMMER]

I have a J.D. Berry Taipan with yew cores and it is buttery smooth, without any hand shock.  I find no negatives with it.

We need to have better controls on invasive species, including plants.  There are ornamental trees that are also killing native song birds.  the last yew bow that I sanded out from a blank caught me.  I had a mask on while sanding, but I took it off when my cell phone rang.  My throat and lungs felt a rash for two weeks afterwards.

sorry, DP, internet is blinking here,

[vintage-bears]

I have a couple sets of bear signature limbs with Yew core and gotta say that they are the smoothest set of limbs I've ever shot.
Not sure if Yew is the reason but they sure are sweet.