Can my Yew branch ever be a bow??

[Darwin1224]

Hi there!

So, I cut this yew branch early last month (April). I had planned on roughing it out to near floor-tiller dimensions...but, as I made some shavings I started to get scared. Real scared. I worried about ruining the stave before it was even an actual bow STAVE.

So I dropped my draw knife, slapped some wood glue on the ends, & then placed it inside to dry.

That was about the middle of April (2013). It has been drying indoors ever since.

The other day I took a look at my yew branch. It looked a whole lot different. When I first cut the yew, it really looked promising...but, now that 2 months has passed it seems to have way more twists & curves than I originally remembered. I really think the majority of it is due to the drying process...this can happen, right??

So, now I'm left with a twisty, curvy piece of yew. Can this piece of yew be made into a bow? First off, I have no bow style in mind other than a selfbow. I know that, for the most part, the wood dictates the bow that can be created from it. So I'm absolutely willing to take what this branch can give me. But, in the end, is a bow of decent draw weight possible? Can steam straightening cure these twists & curves? I worry about the more advanced processes that may be necessary to turn this branch into a suitable stave. I have only a mere 3 board bows under my belt at this point...and I also do not have a workshop full of power tools or benches, etc.

I've included some photos of the branch. The branch is 75 inches long & about 2.5 inches wide.

Thanks for any & all your help, advice, & information!

 

 

 

 

[MoeM]

Doesn`t look too bad but I think you`d need much more experience than you got... (don`t get me wrong but few of your questions tend to tell me that you are not that one- btw. me not either^^)

[Darwin1224]

Sooooo…you're saying there's a bow in there…but it's a bow that I, myself, won't ever make?  

Haaa…yeah, ya know, I think that's a fairly reasonable statement.  

Mainly I was just really struck by the amount of warping that occurred...and I was suddenly unsure of whether or not this piece could make a bow anymore...or, at least a selfbow.

I've just never harvested my own bow wood before (only shoots for arrows). And inexperience bit me. I guess I should have harnessed it in place as it dried in order to try to diminish any unwanted warping. But I didn't. All I did was seal it in order to diminish checking.

[MoeM]

It will propably even "in your hands" make a shooting stick...
But as you said the warping and side twist will make it hard to make it a GOOD bow.
Working the limbs down to the "inner tunnel" (dunno marc-channel?) is important to avoid the ends from splitting, leave the handle section in full diameter and clean the tunnel with a wire and maybe do a cut with a fine saw on the belly to the tunnel- this shall prevent drying cracks (glue it later with epoxy or superglue).
Put it outside- protected from rain and direct sunlight (garage etc...)
You can check weight day by day to see when it`s dry enough.
Then rough form it carefully while floortillering.
Worst will be to learn something for the next^^

[John Scifres]

Be not afraid.  What have you got to lose?  Proceed with a combination of reckless abandon and cautious optimism.  Right now it's a stick.  Make it a bow.  It will warp less once you get it to bow dimensions.  

Here's how I would handle it.  Remove the bark and seal the back.  On the belly side, get it reasonable flat.  Divide it into thirds.  Make the center third 1-1/4" wide following the grain.  Then taper to 1/2" at the tips.  Try to avoid leaving any knots on the edge.  Make it 3/4' thick throughout the whole stave, leaving the center 8" as a handle section 1" or so thick.

At this point decide if you want to steam it to correct.  Build a simple reflex caul out of a 2x6.  Build a steam chamber out of vent pipe.  Steam for 1-2 hours and then quickly clamp it to your caul. Alternatively, you can leave it and correct later with a heat gun.

Seal it all the way with shellac and then let it rest for one month in a cool place, like a basement.  Then start bringing it to progressively warmer places over the following weeks until 2 months have passed and you can probably start bending it some but you will have to reduce thickness to really get it bending.

If you did not correct with steam, you can probably use a heatgun and caul at this point.

Take pics and ask questions along the way.

[Pat B]

Same procedure here as with any other stave, remove wood until both limbs bend evenly and toghther.

[Black Mockingbird]

Quick drying + yew is not a good combo...for the exact reasons you have there...always leave bark on yew and let it dry slowly...I'd let that one sit and make some bows of easier stock and get your experience and confidence levels up....here's a yew recurve I made from a 1 1/2" diameter yew branch...and I've made several yew bows from small diameter staves...it can be done

  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=33859.0  

And I would not advise taking it to an exact dimension of 3/4" thickness as john said...its yew and will be thicker than other woods at bow dimension...and that might not leave you enough wood to tiller and make weight....I'd go no less than an inch thick for now in the limbs...or until it starts to bend on the floor a few inches if your going to further reduce it...

[Darwin1224]

Geeeeez, Black Mockingbird...that's such a great looking bow. One of the most beautiful things to me is watching some knotty little stick get strung up into a badass bow. Really love the full brace pics of that little yew bow of yours.  

As for this thing of mine, I think I am just going to let it sit for a good while. Besides, I HAVE been wanting to gain some experience on some hickory or the like...it was just that the opportunity to cut some yew just happened to present itself to me. And so I grabbed it.

And to John - thanks for the optimism & advice. I'll definitely look into fashioning the reflex caul & steam chamber that you talked about.

[John Scifres]

Not being argumentative or anything but you are too far down the path to stop now.  I have had good success with the method described and making a flatbow from yew.  Lots a ways to skin this cat.  That's how I'd handle it.  It won't warp any more if you get it shaped.

[Darwin1224]

I'm mulling it all over.

I'm leaning toward shelving it, though. Maybe I'll put it away for now & then pull it out 7-odd years later when I have a few non-board bows under my belt & also a few straightening contraptions in my workshop...

...or maybe I'll trade it for a stave or 2 of wood that's better suited for my newbie ways...some nice & tough hickory, perhaps?