An Interesting Commission and Yew ELB

A Yew Mollegabet about 50# at 28", that should be fun to pick up next. It will be for a guy who visited a week or so back and will be from the yew he brought. I've been doing some armchair bow making planning how I'll make it. First step is to rough it out on the bandsaw, but it needs a bit of an overhaul first.

Yesterday I refurbed the bandsaw as it was squeaking a bit and needed a new blade. I gave it a good clean out and noticed the drive belt was fraying so I ordered a new belt and a couple of blades.
I noticed that Bedford Saw & Tool http://www.bedfordsaw.co.uk/   from whom I got the bits also do improved blade guide assemblies. Maybe that's something for the Christmas list (damn, I've used the "C" word)
I think maybe the belt has worn because I occasionally run it without the dust extractor running (if it's connected to the belt sander instead) and saw dust gets trapped between belt and drive pulley.
Anyhow it's running smooth now.

I'm hoping to get a 75# Yew longbow finished. over the weekend, or ready for finishing at least.
See video here:-
https://youtu.be/_7sQ-yCvLP4

Not sure who it's for yet as I have two commissions from people who are overseas for part of the year but back in the UK regularly. They both want bows of about that weight and want on a single stave (as opposed to billets).
The problem (and irritation) is that neither seems to respond to E-mails!

Personally I reply to E-mails within an hour or two, a day at the outside... contacts from the website take longer as I don't check that so often.
I prefer E-mail to phone as it gives a written record that can be referred back to, also pic's can be sent of course.
When people take the trouble to visit, I know they are serious and they get my attention.

Talking of E-mail... the down side is the damn spam, and I apologize if anyone has had any spam coming from my E-mail addresses. I think my address book has been hacked as I've received bogus E-mails from a few of my archery contacts. I've changed my passwords as a precaution.

Left limb of the bow looks stiff in the outer and weak just left of the grip, but it does have some natural reflex at the tip, Right limb needs to bend more all over and especially the mid/outer.
I'll press on with it.

Update:- I've measured limb thickness every 6" and also used my fingers to even out the thickness taper (I work on approximately 1.5-2mm every 6"). The limbs are coming round much more smoothly and it's about 75# at 28" now, ready for horn nocks.
This stave had so little spare thickness to play with that I've only just removed some of the original bandsaw marks! It's been made from the only good stave in this post:-http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/elm-warbow-progress-etc.html
This rather illustrates how it's a struggle to find decent timber.
Note the left outer limb looks stiff, but you have to bear in mind the natural reflex... so it's bending more than it appears.
I may heat treat the belly and bend the right limb to match the left. That will bring up the draw weight and give me some more scope to perfect the tiller. On the other hand it's pretty much there as it is.

I've not blogged up the work on this bow as much as usual, and maybe I'm a bit grumpy. It's down to family issues and this isn't the place for such stuff.

I'll ease up on the Yew ELB for now and maybe plan out that Molle' and get it roughed out.
Looking forward to a field shoot down in Kent at the weekend, good to get some in before the weather turns. I'll be taking the repaired Yew ELB, The spliced billet bow, the Near-lithic and Twister to actually shoot.