Two questions

[Ex Sparker]

Have a couple of dumb questions (and yes there can be dumb questions):
- can poplar (aka cottonwood or aspen) be used for a board bow; and
- is there a type of yew that grows in Eastern Ontario (Ottawa Valley) area.

Actually think I cut one down today and burned it!

[Sam Harper]

1.  According to the Traditional Bowyer's Bible, any wood (even pine!) can be used to make a bow as long as you match the design to the material.  But personally, I think poplar is a very poor bow wood.  Maybe I just lack the skills.

2.  I don't know.

3.  Egads!!!

[Pat B]

Question #1, I would normally say no but I know a guy that built a tulip poplar bow last year.
 Question #2, Taxus Canadensis, (Canadian yew)
native habitat, Newfoundland to Virginia, Iowa to Manatoba

[Ex Sparker]

Well, judging by Pat B's response, I probably had a 7' x 4" yew that is now ashes. It was really straight too!

[timbermoose]

[razorback]

Probably was bug infested and half rotten        

[Sam Harper]

Yes, let's tell ourselves that so we can all get to sleep tonight.

[Ex Sparker]

I will be drowning my sorrow with Scotch this evening.

Thanks all for your replies.

[fujimo]

What's it like as bow wood, comparative to the pacific yew?

[Ex Sparker]

I don't know, but if I ever stumble across another one in my back yard I would like to find out.

[Pat B]

There are other yews used in landscapes like Japanese yew or Anglo-Jap yew. I believe they all make good bow wood but I have no experience with them. Its not only high altitude, high ring count, Italian yew that makes good bow wood. When I started building wood bows(trees were just invented    :rolleyes:  )only osage and yew would make a bow. Since then folks have determined that there are probably more woods that will make a bow than not. Designing the bow to match the woods properties has made this possible.
 Robert, keep looking!

[Ex Sparker]

I have a huge poplr that snapped off about 2/3 of the way up and it is hangung over my shop! I am slowly working my way into it, but I have a bunch of mixed growth (pine, ceder, hemlock, a bit of ash, maple and oak) to clear out first. Most of it I can use in my stove, but am always looking for a good bow piece.
Recognized the yew after it was on the fire pile. Now I look closer at each piece.

[Pat B]

The poplar will make good arrows but I wouldn't bother with it as bow wood.

[Ex Sparker]

I am a complete novice at bow making. Right now I am in the process of making a youth board bow just to try and get my head wrapped around the basics. Need to make a tillering tree though.
Arrows are a little beyond my scope right now - but just for future knowledge, I assume you use a limb, but how do you get one straight enough?

[White hair]

Agree that poplar is not a good bow wood. Too soft.
As with arrows, cut a piece 30" long debark it and glue the ends. when dry saw into 1/2" squares and scrape em down. Now tulip is not to bad , not as soft. The Japanese like it for furniture.

[LittleBen]

I was udner the impression that canadian yew is good bow wood, but harder to find in suitable lengths than the other yews.

Also FWIW, I've lived my entire life within the native range of Canadian Yew, and I have never seen a yew that wasn't landscaping. So I think it's pretty sparsely distributed ... either that or I'm just loooking in the wrong place ... most of that time was spent on Long Island, which is mainly sand and basically only produces scrub oak, scrub pine, and black locust so that could be it too.

[Pat B]

Tulip poplar makes the best doweled wood arrows I've used so far. And I have an aspen arrow that Art Butner made for me that is a super arrow also.
You would either split a log(billet)into smaller pieces or saw it like Daniel suggested and work them down with a hand plane.
Poplar shoots or limbs didn't work for arrows for me.

[Echatham]

Probably would have better luck with the ash or oak

[Ex Sparker]

Good info, but It will be awhile before I attempt arrows.

Interesting about yew in this area. I was always under the impression it was similar to juniper or ground ceder. What I saw yesterdsy put those thoughts to rest.

If I find another I will post pictures.

[Pat B]

The needles on yew are wider and blade like. Juniper has totally different foliage.