Wonky Yew Longbow Stave. Can I Make a Longbow from this Terrible Yew Branch - or Firewood? Pt 1
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Wonky Yew Longbow Stave. Can I Make a Bow from this Terrible Yew Branch - or will it become firewood? Part One. High winds felled a branch of thirty year old yew. It has many knots, many branches and a bad kink. Can I make an English longbow from it?
I have been making bows for eighteen months - sometimes I think that I've spent all this time making bad bows from good pieces of wood! But have I learned enough in that time to make a good bow from a bad piece of wood?
I start work on a truly horrible piece of yew which has so many knots and potentially weak areas that I am sure it will shatter the first time it is bent. But to get to that stage I have to work the wood into a rough bow shape - and that's what I do in this video.
All my videos are self-filmed with a Panasonic GH4 + Lumix 14-140mm lens, GoPro Hero 3 and DJI Mavic Pro aerial camera drone. Edited with iMovie.
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this should be good one. the eyes of the world are upon yew. have fun gare
Oh heavens Gare, I didn't know people people watched me! Thank yew for the warning ;-)
Omg the explanation at 4.22 about the sap wood tension is what I knew you were all about mick you are a fantastic inspiration/ instructor. To all of us I don't care how old people are watching I know 100 % they are thinking the same as me .I'm glad I live in a time where although it's through a screen I have got to learn from you .as always my friend .Best wishes from Ireland 🇮🇪 and I hope you're having a beautiful Sunday morning 🌄. Whatever trails you are going through please know there are people who genuinely care about you not only because you provide entertainment but because you have touched people on a spiritual level . Ps are you growing any fruits and vegetables this year id love to hear about your garden 🙏as gardening has become my life basically
I love the way you allow me to feel like I am a part of the bow making process. The cutting back and forth between you talking and watching your hands form the bow really holds my attention. I am looking forward to your next video on this subject.
Hello David - I really like your feedback on the actual production, always constructive and very useful to me. Helps me see what I do through your eyes. Thank you for your feedback which is very valuable, appreciated. Mick
As always Mick you are a gentleman. I continue to enjoy your videos and I love the way your viewers feedback and make stories that are your own. As for your new project, whither you fail or succeed I know I will be entertained.
This is going to be a journey, looking forward to it very much.
Hi John, but it may be over in seconds! First pull? Second pull? Crikey. Keep watching, I daren't!
Wow Mick you certainly aint afraid of a challenge 😊 If you can make this one into a bow, you wont be a novice anymore 😃 Good luck Mick 😊👍
Hi Dave, well I'm a daft old and even daft enough to invite the world to watch! Thanks for good wishes, the truth next week methinks. Mick
dave webster ii
Oh Fantastic! Can't wait for the next episode.
Where have the other 100k subscribers gone to? They are missing a treat!
Thank You Mick. As always a pleasure to watch.
Making the next now! Hopefully posted next week. As to the other 100K, well.....
I have donde quite the same.
But I use a Condor machete, and a surform.
And I really LOVE shouting with!!!
I sart cuting un green, and achive a couple of Wells (or a month) after.
With ash, elm, acacia, and oak.
Good job, Mick!
Using a piece of bad bow wood is a great idea for a video I really enjoyed it keep up the good work.
Hi Simon, thank you and appreciate you commenting - your feedback is really useful in planning further videos. Mick
Your woods seem to me to be someplace I would love to wander. It is so peaceful to watch your episodes. I was so sad to see it fail.
Very glad to see you're not a sensible bowyer. There is a lot to be said for being a touch eccentric :) Really enjoy watching your videos and this project looks like a belter!
Ah, you've spotted that I'm not sensible! Thank you! No I'm not, but I'm delighted that you enjoy my videos - thanks foe letting me know. Mick
We make them out of orange Osage or hickory here in the eastern part of US... Love your vids...
Love watching this guy makes bows. I can watch this all day
Thanks!! Mick
Thank you for the videos Mick. Great videos. Very educational.
Hi Raj, thank you. Mick
Brilliant stuff... much better viewing than the stuff on TV! Well done! Spent the afternoon in the shed doing just this!
Thank you Mark. Hope you met with success!
If this one works, it's going to be a beauty.
I hope so! Mick
Hi Mick !!! 😀😀😀
Long time passed since we talked the last time .
Ok , here we go again ...☺☺☺
For beginers in bow making this video is verry wellcome , because you are teaching "BOW MAKING 101" , with good and bad woods for bow , seasoned or green wood , with curved or straight wood , with complications that can apear when you are making a bow( the part when you are straightening the wood with oil and hot air pistol is one of them ) , etc ,etc ,etc . Everybody need to see this video , and I stronglly recomand it ...😯😯😯
I cann't wait to see the bow , and especially the power of the bow at the end .
Great video , for beginers and advanced bowyers .
Your friend from ROUMANIA
Sorin - The bowman
Hi Sorin! Great to hear from you. I hope it becomes a bow, whatever its weight. But more important than that, thank you for your support and continued interest in my videos and progress. Appreciated! Mick
Best of luck to ya! This is a project I think will be extremely informative win or loose. I'm looking forward to the next update already!
Thank you Steve. I'm learning a lot so yes - whether bang or bend - I guess it'll be useful to me!! Thanks for watching. Mick
i guess every bowyer has to make a bow out of a bad piece of wood someday, great video mick
I guess so, worth the experience. Mick
But if Mick gets a bow out of this piece of wood, can we really say it's bad?
Nick, i am also a novice bowyer and i really enjoy your videos my friend. Keep it up, you are a natural.
Thank you Robert! What kind of bows do you make and how long have you been making them?
Hi Mick... I've been making bows now for about 2 yrs, if thats what you want to call it. More like making firewood. I make self bows, board bows, long bows, just whatever catches my eye. I live in an area where getting wood without buying it isn't happening. I live in central california, so im stuck to buying staves or kits off of ebay, or even boards from home depot ect... but i enjoy it a great deal, and i learn a lot from you my friend. You are a great teacher! Keep at it Mick, i rely on your teachings! :) Have a great nite
+Robert Messier Hello Robert. California! You probably have compensations for having no natural wood you can get your hands on! Great that you are not letting that stop you building bows. Have you looked at Ravenbeak Nature Works web site? They often sell Pacific yew from Canada. I'm hoping I might get a stave this fall from the. Thanks for letting me know you like my videos - I've been making them for about 18 months but enjoy the challenge!! Have a good one today. Mick
go for it Mick!! I have made plenty on wonky yews bows, they're fun and always a challenge and the end result is sometimes surprisingly good. be carefull it doesn't dry too quickly and crack. Nice Video
Hello David! I am encouraged by your comment, maybe it won't break? It's roughly 15% moisture at the moment so getting close to being bendable in the next few days. Mick
Way to go Mike, I'm pulling for you. You sure have come a long way on your CZcams channel. -
Alan from Oregon.
Hello Alan, well thank you very much! Let's hope this one comes through. Mick
Really enjoyed this video Mick.
Great stuff Eric, thanks for letting know you enjoyed it. Mick
Bravo Mick ! i'm very much looking forward to seeing how this works out; "Wonky" seems an understatement !
Ho Rob, yes maybe wonky underplays it - let's hope it bends! Mick
Can't wait to see where this stave takes you! No matter what happens, it will at least be a learning experience. Have you ever thought of making a different style of bow besides English Longbow? It would be interesting to see you try and make something like a Paddlebow or Pyramid style flatbow.
Hi Joz, never made anything other than (my rather loose interpretation of) longbows. But one day I will have a crack at a different style - but I can't escape the great heritage of the English longbow so I think I've a few more to make yet. Whether this will be one of them, who knows! Thank you for watching and commenting. Mick
IM ROOTING FOR YOU SIR MICK. MAKE THE BEST BOW I KNOW YOU CAN MAKE 👍
Thank you! I can feel your support so I'll do my best!!! MIck
Nice work Mick! I'm working on a wonky piece of Black Walnut I picked up in Wisconsin. Knots and wiggles all over it but very tough wood. I tried steam straightening it without much success so I'll try using oil. If it doesn't go bang it will be a 56 inch plains bow with a lot of character. We'll see.
Never worked on walnut, black or otherwise - good luck to you! And thanks for watching my efforts as well. Mick
Great Video.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you - and I will keep trying! Mick
Watching you work with the piece moving all over the place makes me wonder if a shave horse might help to stabilize it for you. I guess it's a matter of preference though. I made one that is really quick and easy to move the piece around. No big time loss while working it. I'm a retired cabinet maker so I have blueprints for it. Lol
I will send them to you with pictures if you'de like. Well ok, I'll shut up now! Heheheh
I'd love to see some images of your shave horse etc. I hope to video me building one in the next twelve months and some plans would be useful. Certainly a shave horse would make it easier to make a bow than chasing it around the floor! Mick
Wow Mick, this is a really ambitious project and it gives me a lot of inspiration for my bowbuilding projects. Great job, even if its not gonna work, its very instructive already. Thanks.
+Cengizhan Ayyildiz Thank you very much! Appreciate your comment very much. Fingers crossed on the wonky bow - which is now bending a little ! Mick
I love to watch all of your videos. You make them interesting and explain so much. keep up the beautiful work!
+Mariah Galloway Thank you very much Mariah! Mick
No Mick not a pleasure.....A Delight!
Well I'm delighted that you are delighted! Thank you, Mick
Hi Mike i popped to the medieval show last weekend ,they had some lovely wonky yew bows, to me they look more traditional but they had a nice price tag £1100 ! look forward to seeing the rest of this make ,good luck
ATB
Pete
Hi Pete, well! - over a grand for a wonky bow! Wow. Hope you had a good time and thanks for watching and wishing me luck. Cheers, Mick
Yep was a cracking day ,Ive uploaded a photo video of the day ;)
its a real pleasure to see your videos !!! greetings from mihai.
Thank you again Mihai! Appreciate you watching. Mick
Great series! I'm really looking forward to the next part. :)
Thank you Jocke! Mick
Good luck Mick! This looks like quite a puzzle.
Hi Evan, yes a puzzle - I was thinking snakes and ladders though! Mick
Lol that's awesome!
great work and great editing as always Mick. keep it up and I look forward to seeing the tiller on it.
Leo
Thank you! Mick
You make nice videos
Your videos are amazing I look forward to watching them day after day. And you've really helped me with these videos on making my own
Thank you Mabion!
Go, Mick!
+mcmatrix58 I'm on it!!!
Good luck with this, Mick! I very much look forward to following your progress. As Dave Webster says, you most certainly are not afraid of a challenge. :) - John
Hi John, what's life without a challenge! Thanks for watching and commenting. Mick
Yew bows are notoriously nobbly and bumpy. So that definitely doesn't disqualify it.
Hi Zach, thanks - I'm giving it a go! Mick
keep up the great work love the videos
Thank you Koto! I'll keep 'em coming. Mick
Good luck Mick ! looking forward to see "If it will be a bow or will it be burnt".
Right now it still might go either way. I'm leaving it long to give it (and me!) a chance. Mick
I hope all your efforts see you producing a stunning wonky character yew bow. Good luck I have my fingers crossed for you.
Thank you!
:D I have a yew branch with a bigger bend in than that. So far, I have split it - a very uneven split. So I decided to work on the smaller "throw away" bit first, so that I learn my mistakes on that. It looks like a bow now, but with distinct side bend in one half! Still not sure if it will make a usable "play" bow. TBD But I suspect it was in vain -- better to start with a decent piece of wood as your "foundation" before investing all that time & effort.
BTW you can make a wood-steamer from a wallpaper steam stripper (or kettle) hooked up to some drainage pipe, stopped up with rags and a flower-pot.
Hi Tony, well I hope you get at least one bow from your yew - but I don't think that working on a difficult stave is a waste of time, they are great teachers I find. Yes I may have a go at making a simple steamer sometime soon. Thanks for the tip. Mick
GDay. Great video. Thats a fine looking stave of Yew. Can't wait to see how it turns out
Best :D
Day! Check out video 2 - it's a bow!! Mick
Hey Mick, time to build a shaving horse. Easy-peasy.
Hi there Dooley. You read my mind! It's on my to-do list. I have some plans though I doubt such are really necessary. It'll feature in a video sometime. Thanks for watching. Mick
Argh i can't wait, when is episode 2!?
Hopefully next week! Argh indeed!! Mick
I know this is old mick so im sure you may know by now that yew is considered the most favored among many bowyers. Well, the american pacific yew. But i know ive heard italian yew is great to but idk about that. Here in the states, pacific yew staves are the most expensive by far. And the most expensive selfbows are usually yew...if one is in the market for a selfbow. I favor osage here like most, and pacific yew doesnt grow here in the midwest of the US. My option is to buy a stave. Usually runs 250$ give or take. Its sap wood and heartwood are like tye perfect blend of 2 different woods together being perfect for tension and compression. Its like a natural composite.
Hi there. Yes, have learned quite a bit about yew since then. But thanks for your input - appreciated! Mick
I have a stave that is very knotty with a lot of side twist myself (Mulberry). It should be interesting trying to make a bow out of it. I just finished my 6th bow myself, a 46" nock to nock Pignut Hickory shortbow (D Shaped) selfbow that draws about 35# or so at 28". Making selfbows is way too addicting! Goodluck!
+sovernsectwarren Thank you for good wishes! It is a fascinating journey isn't it? Good luck with the mulberry!! Mick
You look and sound like an English man who made a couple of series about food and such.
but nonetheless your videos are really educational for other beginners like myself.
Hello!) Have you ever heard about Holmagaard(Holmgaard) bow? Wish to see someday a tutorial on make one of those)
Hi there, yes I have and I do have a stave that might just make Holmgaard one day. I will be having a try at one sometime. Mick
a tip for making a bow with alot if knots. dont gig into the knots when your tillering
Thank you Marion. I'm working around them now that I am getting closer to bow size - but thank you very much for the tip, appreciated. Mick
I hate yew ;-)
That tree species doesn't know it is meant to become bows.
Good luck with that nicely worked piece of (fire)wood. I believe you can do it.
Well, I don't hate yew ;-) If it breaks, it'll keep me warm in winter :-) Thanks for watching. Mick
Que arbol. Utiliza para hacer arcos
Hi Mick Loving the shows and now have 2 year old yew stave it does have a slight twist and a bend will the heat treatment work on dried season yew. Many thanks Franklin
Hi Franklin! Yes, in my experience it will work fine. You can choose dry or steam heat - never tried steam myself but I believe it is kinder. I use a DIY heatgun and heat carefully the area to be reshaped. I use weights to move the wood in the right direction. Be careful not to scorch the wood - I use vegetable or linseed oil on the area I am dry heating to try to avoid scorching the wood. You can also use pieces of wood or similar to deflect heat from areas that you don't want to heat up (like the back of the bow when heating the belly for example). Good luck and I hope you get a good bow from your yew! Mick
So what happens during the drying process? Does it take on new twists and turns? Oh yeah, and "wonky" is my new favorite word :D
Thanks, Daniel
Hi Daniel. Wonky, fine word eh? ;-) The more rapidly you dry a bow stave, the greater risk of twist and warp. And some woods are more prone than others. Hazel for example often grows with a twisting motion and if speed-dried the inbuilt tension can be unleashed leaving you with a stave that is beyond wonky. So prepare for this: choose if possible wood without too much twist - wonky doesn't have to include twist; next, whether you pre-work the stave whilst green or just speed-dry, clamp the wood/bow to a straight post during drying. This can help resist movement. Next, and finally, use dry or wet heat (steam) to make final corrections to the bow if it exhibits a bit of wonkiness. Good luck. Mick
thanks Mick
Very nice Video
Mick, from one selftaught selfbowyer to another two words that will make your life alot easier... shave bench
Hi Tony, yes, I agree. I plan to make one soon because I really need better support when working on bows. Thanks for the prod. Mick
I asked where you had got too the other day and you kindly replied that you were still about ...you said that quote you were a bad shot ...my opinion is your great at making the gear ..I'm your polar opposite..I'm a good shot and struggling to get remotely to your level ..I shall continue to persevere ..
Good luck. But don’t berate yourself. Just keep at it. Enjoyment is key.
I live near and around the national forest in Leicestershire I hope to goodness I have not repatriated any of your timber .
I was joking about my last message..truly ..but the ones I have made and buggerd up have gone in the bin
@@timwright5466 Ha! Made me smile. The NF won’t miss a few bits of broken stick. We are probably close to each other.
I was a national trust ranger at on a property for 40 years and formed a local archery club ..so I still have some access to wood ..and archery skills ..and retired ..living the dream ..
Hi Mike i am back again ,i found a few yew trees at work ,and i was lent against them today watching this video again,Ive managed to cut a 8 foot stave about 4" thick , its a bit knotty and 2 foot from where the knocks will be is 4 knots together !!! ,I am taking the plunge with Yew on my first bow !! , i will take your route in speeding up the drying possess ,will i still have to glue the ends to stop them splitting once ive got to this stage ? also go a lovely 10 foot length of hazel ,nice and straight .
ATB
Pete
+CrazyCressy7 Hello Pete! Well, you've gone in head first - great! I suggest you seal the ends because there is always the risk of splitting - and seal any branch offcuts too. My wonky yew has a ring of knots in several places - no idea if it will survive but worth a go as is your stave. You can dry hazel quickly but don't try too fast with yew - this wonky piece has probably been down three months or so and has dried in exceptionally hot conditions. Don't rush it! Maybe go for the hazel first, that could be a bow in 4-8 weeks time! Good luck and stay in touch!
Thanks Mike ,i will do the hazel first and let the Yew dry for a few months ,just need to find a place to hide it in the house without my wife finding it lol ,thanks again buddy ;)
+CrazyCressy7 Ha! You'll not get away with that!! Hazel is less forgiving than yew so it'll be a good test - and hazel is so easy to find that if it goes wrong you can always get another piece. Give that yew a chance - if you can manage six months, then shape it ( don't bend) then weigh it and keep weighing it until its weight is stable, then make your first yew longbow.
Will do ,i will glue up the ends and pop them to my dad house as he has a spare room and i will leave them for next spring ,if i am going to do it i must do it right ;) thanks for the heads up ;)
Can you make a bow from a old fallen and weathered yew branch with many length splits but not rotten ?
There is only one way to find out. Just try. You have little to lose and possibly a bow to gain. Good luck.
@@MickGrewcock true thank you
Mick, I love your videos mate! I have a bit of a weird question for you tho. Were you fostered/adopted at all? It's just you look just like my dad who's name is Nick, and he was fostered and doesn't know his parents. You must be about the same age as well so I had to ask just incase your were long lost twins/brothers lol. Look forward to hearing from you! Joe
Joe Yates Hi Jo. No, neither. I can trace some my family back to the late 1500s and am lucky to be able to say that I know where I came from. Thanks for watching 🙏
i hope this bow turns out
Me too, but it's awfully wonky so may be a test too far for me. Let's see. Thanks for watching, Mick
Great video Mick! I have one question though where did you buy your bow nocks
Hi there. In UK I use eBay and also Richard Head longbows. Hope that helps.
that's alot
Hi Mick, great video as always. I know I am slightly behind and I watch your videos in random order since I have signed up to your channel recently. I have a question: You are using two types of drawing knives with different handles. Is there any massive difference (apart from size as the one with downwards handles is much bigger but I saw smaller versions too) in using it? Thank you in advance for your time.
I use three draw knives. The biggest allows me to remove large amounts of wood quickly. I usually keep it very sharp except if I’m removing bark. My mid size one is a French wheelright’s draw knife (gift from a good friend in Normandy) is used for more detailed work in small areas around knots etc. I keep this slightly off sharp. Smallest is not really a draw knife, it’s a Mora splitting knife - it’s super sharp. It gets least use but is very useful. Hope that helps.
@@MickGrewcock Thanks. It gives me some kind of a guide as I want to buy a drawknife and there is a lot of options and not much of descriptions in online shops apart from 'draw knife or a splitting knife' woodworking tool. I guess I will start with a middle size to have an allrounder at least until I have a shed or something where I can start collecting more jajx
Walking Caveman The best ones are, in my opinion, vintage. Look on eBay etc. It’s quite possible to get by without a draw knife but they do make some tasks easier. Good luck.
Hi mick,another wonderful video from you :) ive been an avid archer for years,i attend a local archery club and go wandering stump shooting in Sherwood forest and bulwell hall woods,i live in hucknall,near Nottingham,you have really inspired me and you have got me really wanting to make my own bows but I'm really struggling to find anywhere that sells ipe,hickory,lemonwood,padauk,osage and yew staves,theres plenty in America but I cant find anywhere in England ?? I want to make my own bows so badly but I'm getting down and feeling defeated that I cant find any wood suppliers locally to help :(
is there any advice you could give me or have any suppliers you can recommend ??
thanks again for your amazing vids !!
Hi Rob! First, don't give up. Have you watched my very latest video about bow woods? Second, apart from yew you have named lots of non UK woods. Assuming you don't want to make laminate bows, why not start with hazel? Grows all over the place. Ash is good in the green for practise. Not hard to find either for nothing. Have a look at ebay, guy named Phil Brookman (who is chosen path bushcraft) currently has ash and cherry staves as well as some yew laminates. Horst Perk of Debogentradition in Germany currently has yew, Osage, ash and Robina staves plus hickory and bamboo boards for flat or longbows. Not silly money. It isn't as difficult as it first appears to find bow wood once you know where to look. Let me know if you are still struggling after you've had a look at those suppliers. If you are happy with laminates, try Irondale Long bows just up the road from you in Derbyshire. Guys name is Kristoff Mussolini. Lams are a good way to practise tillering and avoid that frustration such as you are suffering. Mick
@@MickGrewcock
Hi Mick,thanks for the reply !
I just watched that video yes thanks,i will look into finding out when they clear trees,they did it a few years ago my dad said so maybe next time I can ask for some nice wood when they do some clearing, I'm looking on ebay at phil brookmans staves and laminates they seem really really nice ! perfect for me to practice on and get the experience.
the reason I was looking at the woods I listed was all the people at my club shoot longbows made of those woods,i have a outlaw longbow made of padauk,bamboo and lemonwood and I have a bearpaw slickstick,and a Manchu horsebow,but I want to make more traditional bows,like a selfbow,just a single piece of wood,like the ones you've made,they look beautiful !
thanks again for your kind words and advice,im looking into those people you recommended right now !
good luck in the future,take care
Im looking a yew branch in the uk, can someone tell me where i can find one pls
Sometimes yew staves for sale on eBay. I have bought staves from European suppliers too. Forming a good relationship with tree surgeons is useful too - they sometimes work on yew. Otherwise you need to find a landowner with yew and ask them. Good luck.
i collected something similar to this but i failed
Ah well, better luck next time - and mine may fail too. Time will tell! Mick
This peace of green wet solid branch of living of yew blew down in a recent storm lololol. Maybe if a airplane crashed into it during this storm
You seem to be calling me a liar.
Interesting...
No shaving horse yet? :-)
+Rod Parsons Not yet Rod. Want to make a video of building a shave horse but events this year have delayed things. Soon, hopefully!
Looks like you made the obvious choice, cleanest back with the worst of the knotty bits on the belly.
+Rod Parsons Yes, but it didn't seem that obvious at the time. I can report that it bends, but the thick end of the branch has much more heartwood, which makes one limb massively stronger than the other. You can probably the rasping where you are!
Sorry Mick, can't hear your rasping for the sound of Rolls Royce V12's overhead.
scary
Yep!
Wishing you luck on this one Mick. Must admit I did wonder if you might be better served trying for a recurve horse-bow out of that one . It had most of the sinuous stuff going on anyway... Then something else crossed my mind. A guy working on a boat renovation made use of a nifty steamer bag and bending process . Now I don't want to horrify you suggesting such interventions in your blade/tillering work... But, you never know , it might trigger curiosity for another avenue of bowyer work via steam bending and peg board forming ...... and, just maybe a way to salvage apparently hopeless hunks of wood ... and I just got here and you mentioned heat-bending ... always the way :) anyway , here's a link to the method of steam bending Dale used ...
czcams.com/video/txwDIXKKVDU/video.html
looking forwards to the result on this stave .
Hi there! Yes I watch Dale and have followed him for a good while now, long time before his boat project. Yes steam is good, but some problems in my situation - but dry heat seems to be oaky for little tweaks. Not yet strayed into horse/recurve bows etc - I'm still on the nursery slopes with longbows! Anyway, thanks so much for watching and continuing to support me. Cheers, Mick
Oh boy, that is one ugly looking stave. If you can make a functional bow out if that my hat is off to you.
Yep, it's a beastly looking thing. But - sneak preview - it's bending to 24" and is braced. Still mightily wonky, but, well, it's a kinda bow. Just hope it survives to the end of the next video!! Mick