My first Yew Stave Project....

[Bowjunkie]

If it was me, I wouldn't let the sapwood to heartwood ratio get too out of wack. If it appeared that it would go much beyond 3 to 1, I'd consider thinning the sapwood. What are your sapwood and heartwood thicknesses now?

I can't tell in the pictures, Roy. Is it faceted yet? or still square/rectangle?

Don't forget, when you round off the belly, you're gonna lose some weight.

[Keenan]

Bowjunkie is right you will lose weight when you roll the edges on the belly and back.  I know that you are accustom to removing sapwood on Osage, but keep in mind that yew sapwood is actually good and the excellent natural backing. One of the advatages of yew is you don't have to chase a ring or spend allot of effort removing the sapwood. With 1/4" sapwood you are fine, and chasing a ring on yew sapwood is near impossible especially with that high of ring count. Though if you do decided to reduce chasing a ring isn't required. You just don't want to violate allot in one spot.

[Roy from Pa]

Sap wood to heart wood is like 2 heart wood to 1 sap wood at the tips, little more heart wood through the limbs though. I already have the belly rounded, I did facets on the back after I took those pictures of the bending last night. I don't want to take off any sap wood on the back or I will lose the character of the back of the bow. But I'll follow you two guys advice.

 

 

 

 

[Roy from Pa]

Spent a lot of time on this Yew Stave today. I hope I am going in the right direction.

I heated the mid limb area and induced reflex in both limbs. I used  a 2 inch block at the tips.

 

 

 

 

[fujimo]

i  found that i got at least 50% springback with the yew- quite unlike the osage.
be interresting to see what you get?

[kennym]

It looks OK , I guess.................................................  

[Roy from Pa]

I just called the airlines. Wanted to book a flight to Linneus, Mo tonight. They said I gotta wait a few days. So Stay Sharp Kenny, ya get to hunt a couple more days, Son:)

[Stiks-n-Strings]

looking good Ol Roy ! Can't wait to see what you end up with on her.

[Roy from Pa]

Me either Kris, this is all new to me:) But I am having fun.

[Pat B]

Roy, Flip her over and support where necessary then give her a good heating on the belly.(I almost made myself blush!) Not to induce color but heat her up good and let her cool over night.
  Even though the two woods are completely different I found yew to manipulate as well as osage with heat.   ...actually I'd get her tillered out a bit more them put the heat to her to set the reflex. I think it is time for long string tillering too.

[Black Mockingbird]

I hope you didn't heat the sapwood,that wood be a big no no...it looks like it....unless you heated the belly first unclamped then clamped it down. Ill heat yew up just to the point of where you start to see a color change on the belly while its already clamped down on a form.

[Roy from Pa]

The heat gun was pointed down so the heat bounced off the table under the belly. After it was hot I clamped it down. I never put heat directly on the sap wood.  I left it clamped all night and just checked it. Now it's got less deflex and hardly any reflex. I will have to induce reflex again. Now that I think about it, I had a brain fart. Instead of clamping the bow flat at the handle, I should have left the handle off the work bench and clamped the belly at mid limb flat, DUH... I'm thinking after all the heat corrections, I'd better let this bow sit some place where it's a little damper for a week or two.

[coaster500]

Takes a bit more to get the heat to take in Yew for me. I pull it farther past where I want the heat to take it over say Osage or even white wood like Hackberry. It's pretty stubborn and needs a bit more coaxing to get it to stay ...  Nice piece of yew Roy,,,, sap to heart ratio looks great!!!

[Roy from Pa]

Kipper I found out what you mean about Yew wanting to spring back from reflex induction, the hard way:)

Tonight I had another reflex go around with this Yew Stave. I'm thinking I might have my head screwed on straight this time:) I moved my little end blocks in towards the riser, after I heated it and clamped her down. I kept sliding them in till I measured 3 inches from the bottom of the limb tip to the bench. I also glued on the black buffalo horn tip over lays tonight. I hope in the morning I have more reflex in her, as she is still clamped up. This Yew Selfbow stuff is all new to me. I feel like a rookie, LOL! Now another question here. Since I have heat treated this stave 3 times, should I let it sit a while to gain more moisture back in her before tillering it on the tree?

 

 

 

[coaster500]

I'm no expert Roy but yes if it were me I'd let it set for a few days before I went to bending it.

You got me interested in seeing just how much of that bend you keep....  guess it looks OK for a Rookie  

[Keenan]

Roy here is a pic of the stave of the R/D bow I showed earlier on this thread.The first showing amount of natural deflex. Then showing the bending set up. At this point in time I had not learned to use rubber pads to cushion the back of the stave, but I do now, and suggest doing it on this type of set up.The beauty of this, is that you can heat, then tighten the clamps, then heat and take a bit further to what you want.Then when I hit the point that I like, I do a complete and slow "deep heat" of the whole limb, directly on the belly. Excess heat blows on past so as not to cook the back of the stave. I get very little spring back this way.
 
 
 

[Roy from Pa]

I gotta make me a caul like that, Keenan. I guess I can live with the reflex I got.

 

 

 

 

[Keenan]

That is actually looking very good Roy. Not bad for a rooky southern boy  

[Roy from Pa]

Thanks Keenan.. And you must have skipped school when they taught about north and south.. I'm a Northern Yankee Boy:)

Now should I let this stave sit for a few days or so before I start tillering, because of the heat applied to it?

[Keenan]

Northern Boy? really? I guess I forgot where ya live and it's just all that good ol boy humor that fooled me    
 Yes most certainly wait at least a day before tillering