Well, got myself a E-bay Yew half log the other day. Real good buy for the money. I got two decent staves out of it and one marginal stave. Guess I'm gonna attempt a ELB from one of them. I have only made one ELB from ASH, and it didn't make it. Anybody got any good dimensions to compare to. Looking for about 55# @ 29". The stave is 73" long.
 I'm gonna take my time on this one...hope you guys ain't gettin tired of the build-alongs.

First pics in a little while.

Sparky

I don't think I'll ever get tired of buildalongs. Keep 'em coming    

I'll be watching this one with interest

Fantastic!  I love build alongs.

I don't know about yew Sparky but if I had to guess I'd rough cut it to 1 3/8" and 5/8" at the nocks.  Then I'd look to reduce it by 1/8" in width carefully.  On the thickness I'd rough cut it to 1 1/8" down to 5/8".  I expect finished dims to be inside of 1 1/4" x 1" at the handle and inside 1/2" round at the nocks, if you don't pike it.  If you built it proud of 72" and then piked it for the nocks down to 71" or so I bet you could have a hum dinger.  

Any reflex in it?

See if you can get a detailed pic of the rings and sap wood thickness.

Oh yes, get it going. Those buildalongs are always interesting. Bue--.

Sparks bud, I have a yew stave that I started last year. Mine is deflexed Throughout.I put it on hold until I get the bug for it.Maybe you'll "spark" me.8^

I'll be watchin!  

Here's the first round of pics of the half log & stave. I have it backed down cept for sanding smooth. Sapwod is right at 1/4" thick. The wood is perfectly straight. Got some pin's and knots, but think I can miss alot of them in the final profile.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sparkylongbow/my_photos

Sparky

Glad you guys are intrested...I'm gonna need help with this one. I have wanted a Yew ELB for such a long time. I'll get some better pics of the end grain tomorrow.
 Tim...git'er done man...    

Sparky

Wooo whooo another buildalong, I'll be watchin for sure Sparky.

love these build along although you will never see on from me...you guys build them,I'll shoot them...   BLM

I love them to Sparky. Thanks.Jawge

Hey, that's gonna have a bit of character too aint it.

I'll be watching.

looking forward to the ride Spark... did you say perfect straight:) maybe grain wise but it sure is gonna have some woopteedos:) Are you gonna leave the sapwood 1/4" or reduce it to 1/8"-3/16"

Joe Don

Joe Don,

Who in their right mind would want to work with a perfectly straight stave?  Does such a thing even exist?

Thanks all...dis ought to be fun. JD, when I said straight I was answering David's question with regards to reflex...LOL
 Yep it's gonna have some whoop-te-doos...      I will prolly leave it at 1/4" unless their is an advantage to thinning it.
 Don, if it did it would be worth more than Gold...LOL

Sparky

Hey Sparky, you are planning on backing this with rawhide aren't you?

Yep Dano...got some whitetail rawhide I made. Gonna do the horn nock thing too. Got some Elephant Ivory for the strike plate.
 Ring are not as thin as I would like, but for $64 plus shipping I ain't complaining.

Sparky

Yeah Sparky.....Yew gonna' have fun with that one!    

Dano....I've never worked with Yew but, I thought if you left the sapwood on you didn't need to back it??

nice build along Sparky. Ok question for everyone according to the bible and several bowyers yew have to chace the single groth ring on the back. I have also heard that yew don't need to, just put a rawhide back and yew'r good.

Richie

Richie,

No, you can cut through sapwood growth rings on yew.  The old timers in WA and OR used to plane through them.  Rawhide backing is always good.  

Hinge.

Hinge, your right what was I thinking:)  a charactor for a charactor like yew....