Yew Stick Bow Finished

   I got it finished and shooting 45# @28". I chalked the arrow pass and could see it needed relieving a bit as the arrows were going left and weren't sticking into the boss straight at 10 yards. the next day I took it roving. Nice clean arrow flight, only shooting about 160-170yards, which is ok for that weight and a wonky stick. 

Yew Stick Bow

 Back last Autumn, I cut a branch off the Yew in the back garden that was overhanging the patio (on instruction from the missus). It was an oval cross section at the base about 3" x 4". There were plenty of knots and bends in it, but just for fun I roughed it out on the bandsaw to a half round section and strapped it up to a length of 3x2 to season.
It needs some steam bending but the wood is a lovely colour and works nicely.
I've started work on it and been videoing the process. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIW6-ngRHd4

3D shoot and some Rowan

 I went to the Cloth of Gold (CoG) field archery club's 3D shoot. First 3D shoot I'd been to for over a year
, it was excellent, the course had been totally re-layed so it was all new unfamiliar shots. I had belly ache the previous night and didn't feel up to par, but a good walk in the woods helped to work it off. The course was 20 targets double pegged, so first time round you shot from the A pegs, and 2nd time from the Bs... sometimes there were also different targets from each peg. I didn't bother scoring and actually blanked the first target which was a small fox and rat with one arrow at each. After that I settled down and didn't blank any more. I was shooting pretty well in a friendly group of 4.
I met up with my mate Rob who'd brought a couple of Rowan staves for me and I gave him a 90# Boo/Hickory/Yew that I'd made for him, unfortunately we weren't shooting in the same group.
By the time we got round to the catering tent after 22 targets, I was tiring, so I just had a cup of tea and made my way home... 
Thanks to all at CoG for their hard work and organisation.

I've not used Rowan before, so it'll be another one to add to my list of woods that I've made bows with. I had a quick try with the draw knife to get a feel for it, I was expecting it to feel like Ash as it looks very similar, coarse grain and pale colour, but it was more like Hazel or pine, it cut very well, smooth and creamy. There is some darker heart wood in  the staves and that felt a little crisper. I've not decided what type of bow yet, but the wonkier stave will probably be a primitive, maybe really wide like a paddle bow? I've not done a really wide bow yet. Maybe try a longbow/warbow from the straighter stave.

Yew Primitive Character Bow Finished

 I spent a lot of time finishing it, but keeping it clean and simple. It's not easy to get good pics of bows due to thire long thin shape. Hard to get a foreshortened shot with it all in focus.

Yew Primitive

 

I came across this Yew stave in my stash, I'd obviously started to rough it out as a primitive at some point (it had 2019 written on it). It had some sideways bend which I straightened by steaming at the grip. Some twist in one tip was also steamed out. It's only just starting to flex, I'm aiming for 45# @ 28".
It has a big character knot in the upper limb, which I may take all the way through as the limb is slimmed down. I've also noticed the lower limb is a fair bit wider than the upper, so that needs some attention.

I'm really noticing the seasons shifting now, a softer warmth, a hint of chill some mornings, the courgettes are beginining to go over as the apples come to ripeness.

Boo/Hickory/Yew

 I've finished the Replacement for the bow that exploded, it's a whisker under 90# @32" draw.
Using Microsoft 'Paint' I've managed to produced a combined unstrung and full draw image.
I've sisnce taken a couple of scrapes off the ringht outer limb as it appears a tad stiff when I drew ellipses on the full draw image.

Someone suggested the tiller was odd and the outers are too stiff (I do tend to agree, but it was glued up with a hint of reflex)...
For everyone who says a whip tillered bow is fastest, someone else says a Mollegabet style with stiff outerlimbs is fastest. So make your own minds up and tiller accordingly!

Bad day at the Office

 I got the deflexed yew back to 70# @ 28" and took it roving on a scorching hot day. It felt punchy. One of the guys videoed me shooting it and I heard it creak... I inspected the back and couldn't see any lifting splinters, so next shot I pulled it a whisker more (maybe 29"? ... it was supposed to be 29" draw).. I thought, I'll hold it for a couple of secoBANG. It exploded whacking my right forearm in the process. 

We collected the pieces and carried on round the rove... nearing the end my calf suddenly went into spasm and I slowly limped off to sit in the shade and play my harmonica (that's not a euphemism) until everyone finished. We then sat around chatting and enjoying a cool drink.
I think there were two problems whith the bow, a knot at the centre was much deeper than I suspected, but even if filled would probably have still failed. I suspect the real problem was the sapwood was too thin.
Being a small diametre stave (smallest in the upper limb) the back needed to be rounded to follow a ring, by flattening it a bit I left it V thin down the centre about 2mm. (see diagram).

To try and see if this theory is true I sawed some cross section through near the 2 main breaks. It seems there was plenty of sapwood at the grip, but it was thinner near the knot and at the other break... that's the problem with a stave , it's not nice and even so it's difficult to draw sound conclusions.