Repair Progress & Stuff

 I seem to have multiple jobs on the go. The repair to the Character Yew ELB broken tip is coming along, I flattened the back to take a patch, cut a slip of sapwood with some natural curve to it and the steam bent it to fit (I videoed some the process and will post a video of the entire repair eventually). That glued up nicely. I've already started chiselling the groove on the belly with a tiny chisel made from a ground down needle file. It's hard slow work, but once the groove is started it gets easier.

Cutting a straight groove on a curved surface is tricky and I can really feel the area where the grain runs diagonal, it is noticeably harder.
This sort of repair is maybe a bit bonkers and probably not "cost effective" in modern fiscal terms, but that's not why I do it! I do it for the challenge, to extend my knowledge of what is possible and to keep a bow shooting. I'll probably get a bottle of wine for my trouble which suits me fine... I wouldn't be happy if I didn't have stuff to tinker with.

One of the guys brought over a couple of Yew logs, I'll be making him a bow from the Yew. They are very well seasoned and surprisingly light (compared with an unseasoned log). Unfortunately it won't quite fit under the bandsaw. Now I could make some cross cuts on the knotty side and chop away some of the timber, or I could spend a similar amount of time and less effort making a new upper blade-guide for the bandsaw, which will increase the available depth of cut (height available) by about 2". The blade guides will be Lignum vitae, with a ball race behind the blade to take the load.

Talking of Yew, I think I did some sanding without my mask on and it's induced a nasty cough, or maybe it's the pollen. It's getting rather irritating and I was up at 6 o'clock this morning as it was niggling me. It's fine once I get working and distracted. No point lying in bed trying not to cough! On the plus side at least I don't have toothache ;-)
It does make me a tad anxious about working with yew, as, even with a mask and dust extractor, the garage is a rather dusty environment, and too cluttered to be easy to keep dust free.