Large yew trunk - how best to cut it?

[GregM]

Just felled a large yew with a trunk 2ft thick by 15ft long. Is it worth milling into planks etc? or just log it up for firewood. It seems a shame just to burn such an old tree.

 

In Loughborough, Leics if anyone wants it

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

if its pretty clean and sounds like it, it might be worth milling it to make longbow blanks, they need to be cut from arounf the edges so they have sapwood and heart

[agg221]

if its pretty clean and sounds like it, it might be worth milling it to make longbow blanks, they need to be cut from arounf the edges so they have sapwood and heart

 

This only tends to work from younger trees - you need the right ratio of sapwood. You are also better off cleaving them out as it shows up any twist in the grain.

 

There doesn't seem to be much demand for yew in large boards (shame really as it would make someone an excellent floor!) but it is definitely worth considering milling it, particularly if the colour is good and there is some interesting grain. Might be worth dropping Slackbladder a pm.

 

Alec

[kev7937]

if its pretty clean and sounds like it, it might be worth milling it to make longbow blanks, they need to be cut from arounf the edges so they have sapwood and heart

 

 

 

I always thought the used stems about 6" round and quartered them to get the right combo for longbows. May well be wrong though.

[se7enthdevil]

just plank it through a through. big j has cut up a few of these so maybe best to ask him.

not good for longbow blanks as they are cut from 6" sapling trees that haven't had a chance to put knots and eyes everywhere. they are also much more bendy as the heart wood is less hard.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

regarding the longbows, it is actually a D shaped section, sap on the flat part of the D, cut from as clean a strip as possible, ag is immaterial. There is a demand, I know a guy thats dying for english as he has to import from the states.

[se7enthdevil]

oh, i was told they want ed widely spaced rings as it has more elasticity and older growth are usually too closely spaced hence the young trees.

 

i'll agree though if the bit of wood is good enough it'll get used regardless of age or tree size.

[Big J]

Yew good enough for long bows is very rare.

 

General quality yew is always pretty easy to shift though. I put two lengths into the last kiln load and both were sold when they went in. Whilst not that useful for general cabinet making, it's popular in the craft/hobby market.

 

Jonathan

[Will Heal]

Where is best to sell planks? I tried eBay ( a few years ago) it was no good then, haven't sold any since it's been just sat undercover since then

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[gobbypunk]

I have a fair bit of yew some may be good enough for long bows if any one wants to come and have a look just message me

Cheers Mark