Yew wood any good? Been offered a standing dead yew tree. Never worked with it.

[William Fretwell]

I take trees down periodically. This one is just over 2.5 feet at the base. It has been dead a while so it's dry and hard.
Sawing it up into planks could be a lot of work and very hard on my chains so I wonder if it's worth it.

Does yew crack a lot when it dries? What is it like to work with, grain, colour etc?

Staves make good bows but usually Pacific yew seems to be used. My interest is in furniture.

Thanks to anyone who has worked with it.

[mark kosse]

Great for traditional bows. I've never heard of it used any other way but yew is scarce here in tx.

[Jim Koepke]

Yew ought to give it a try.

Sorry, couldn't resist,

jtk

[Chris Hachet]

Let us know how it works out.....would love to harvest some wood myself...

[Jerry Olexa]

Yew never know.....

[John Vernier]

In England yew is used a lot for traditional Windsor chairs, and I think it is found occasionally as a decorative veneer on 17th-18th century cabinetry.

[Glen Canaday]

Yew is very, very soft even when dry. It can't take an impact for nothin' and will dent if you look at it too hard. It is very elastic though and not easily broken. Since it's a conifer its heartwood is pretty good in compression but its sapwood is fairly good in tension, unlike most others of the type. That's why it's used in traditional English longbows. If the sapwood is too thick though, it can crack and of course the bow becomes a wall decoration.

The best stuff is very tightly grained. It's had a hard life and the growth rings are paper thin. Lawn yew kinda sucks for bows as It's been watered and pampered. Pacific yew is only one breed; we use it here in the states because, well, it can be had.

The worst thing to look out for with regard to other projects than bows is all the bazillion pin knots it can have.

Edit: 2.5 feet across at the base? That's a big mamajama. Never seen one that big, personally. Lots and lots to play with there.

[Jim Belair]

There are several varieties of yew and some (maybe all) are toxic and can cause sensitivities. Regarding sensitivity think red cedar or cocobolo. Note on this chart of maybe a couple hundred woods there are only a few labelled with skull and cross bones and yew is one of them.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-ar...-and-toxicity/

[Bohdan Pasemko]

Yew is very, very soft even when dry. It can't take an impact for nothin' and will dent if you look at it too hard. It is very elastic though and not easily broken. Since it's a conifer its heartwood is pretty good in compression but its sapwood is fairly good in tension, unlike most others of the type. That's why it's used in traditional English longbows. If the sapwood is too thick though, it can crack and of course the bow becomes a wall decoration.

The best stuff is very tightly grained. It's had a hard life and the growth rings are paper thin. Lawn yew kinda sucks for bows as It's been watered and pampered. Pacific yew is only one breed; we use it here in the states because, well, it can be had.

The worst thing to look out for with regard to other projects than bows is all the bazillion pin knots it can have.

Edit: 2.5 feet across at the base? That's a big mamajama. Never seen one that big, personally. Lots and lots to play with there.

You've got to be kidding!
I've been using the same yew-wood carving mallet for over 10 years and hardly shows a dent or bruise.
Made from well-seasoned (1 year/inch of thickness) cut live in the bush here.

[Scott Winners]

If you want to bow hunt Alaska trophy moose this year, you need a bow with a 55# pull. 80-130# is, err, not unreasonable if you are going up against plate armour I guess. I know nothing about yew specifically, though a quick internet search says good firewood, but do not cook with it. Cutting 7 feet off the stump to make bow staves is potentially lucrative, for the rest I got nothing.

[Jim Tobias]

My only experience with Yew has been Yew Burl veneer. If there are any crotches/burls or figured areas, I would guess it could produce some gorgeous veneers.
The attached is a table I did many years back using Yew Burl veneer.

Jim
Hall-Table---.jpg

[Dave Zellers]

The attached is a table I did many years back using Yew Burl veneer.

That table is stunning! Gorgeous beyond words.

[Jim Tobias]

Thanks Dave. I was alwaysblown away by the beauty of that Yew Burl Veneer.....just beautiful wood!!

[Adam Herman]

its frowned upon around here as an ornamental as it will kill the Elk and Mule Deer.

[Glen Canaday]

There are several varieties of yew and some (maybe all) are toxic and can cause sensitivities. Regarding sensitivity think red cedar or cocobolo. Note on this chart of maybe a couple hundred woods there are only a few labelled with skull and cross bones and yew is one of them.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-ar...-and-toxicity/

Apologies, I rarely consider power tool users since I'm not one myself. The above chart is something to consider.