Sunday 7 July 2013

Whew What a Scorcher

Summer has finally arrived. I got lift up the club and gave the Yew Stickbow a try out, it pretty much did the job and would certainly have made an effective hunting weapon. It's a testament to the properties of Yew.
The field had been mowed and there were big bales of hay, we lobbed a few arrow at them clout style. It was a relief to get into the woods where it was much cooler and to shoot at the 2D animal target faces.

I've spent a fair bit of time on the Warbow tidying up the back approximately to a single growth ring, and one limb is about roughed out to dimensions. It does flex very slightly if I lean on it.
I'm not being over fussy at this stage. The rings don't run concentric to the curve of the back anyway, so there will be places where the rings show as lines running down the length of the bow.
I'm pretty much going to follow the dimensions from Weapons of Warre but keeping a very square section initially, then I'll put it up on the tiller and see what it does.
I'll probably add temporary tip overlays, maybe slivers of horn to protect the back at the nocks. I'll winch it back to a decent poundage before worrying about rounding it off.
There is one knot on the belly that doesn't go too deep, but is manky round it's core so I've dug it out and will peg it.
More worrying is what looks like very sound knot on the belly with an associated bulge on the back and a red/purple blush on the side, maybe there is rot lurking under there? The red blush can be a sign of hidden trouble.

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