yew logs

[Backcut 89]

hi guys, felled some yew logs around a year ago and have decided they would make nice floorboards as they are long, decent diameter and clean. it will be around a years time when i get a place to put the boards in and was wandering is there any way or the best way to get around the lack of seasoning milling wise? any help would be greatly appreciated, rgds, sam

[muttley9050]

If you milled them a year ago and you have one more year before fitting, inch boards should be nicely seasoned. If there not milled yet, wait for cooler weather and mill asap. Leave for one year to season, then either find someone to kiln dry for you or put inside the house they will be fitted in for a few months. Then plane and fit. This method should be fine.

Never seen a yew floor before. It will either look too busy or stunning. My vote is for the latter.

James

[Big J]

Yew is an easy species to dry - quick and predicable. It's a softwood after all.

 

If they are long, clean and good diameter, my vote goes for not using them for flooring and selling them for long bow blanks. Lots of money in that!

[agg221]

If they are long, clean and good diameter, my vote goes for not using them for flooring and selling them for long bow blanks. Lots of money in that!

 

I think this is unfortunately one of those stories like 'every walnut butt is worth £1000 for gunstocks'. There aren't that many bowyers and those that there are seem to prefer yew grown in Spain/Portugal where it grows more slowly, although I am aware of one who is using English yew. The ideal size is around 4" to 6", with equal widths of heartwood and sapwood and no side branches, so realistically anything big enough to mill is already too big for bows.

 

For an idea of what it might look like:

 

Yew Floorboards | Drummonds Architectural and Flooring ltd.

 

Alec

[muttley9050]

Very true Alec. I was taught, fell the tree split into quarters for 4 bow blanks. The bowyer that taught me didn't like English yew as like you say it grows to fast.

[Big Beech]

I think this is unfortunately one of those stories like 'every walnut butt is worth £1000 for gunstocks'. There aren't that many bowyers and those that there are seem to prefer yew grown in Spain/Portugal where it grows more slowly, although I am aware of one who is using English yew. The ideal size is around 4" to 6", with equal widths of heartwood and sapwood and no side branches, so realistically anything big enough to mill is already too big for bows.

 

For an idea of what it might look like:

 

Yew Floorboards | Drummonds Architectural and Flooring ltd.

 

Alec

 

Ha

Just looked at that link Alec. Looked at there phone code then addresz. About 4miles from here as the crow flys. And uncannily our neighbour is a drummond

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thanks for that james, i want them for my first hoise thats my idea mate

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thanks for all the advice here chaps, they will go in my first house thats my idea when im ready to buy, all the best, sam

[Big J]

Yew is an easy species to dry - quick and predicable. It's a softwood after all.

 

If they are long, clean and good diameter, my vote goes for not using them for flooring and selling them for long bow blanks. Lots of money in that!

 

I had a nice small load of straight yew butts that I sold quite a bit of to a bowyer - the rest went for whisky boxes!

[Backcut 89]

nice one mate sounds interesting