Yew, Now I have got some, how best to use it?

[woodfarmer]

Yesterday I made a 200 mile trip to buy some "firewood" at £20 a trailer load.
Apart from one small bit it is all yew branches plus the smallest round off the main stem from about 5 metres up the trunk. At 67 cm diameter is was the only bit of trunk two of us could lift into the trailer. This bit is fairly oval and would make a couple of bowls about 60cm outside diameter by about 20cm high. The thing is, I really would like to turn something now and usually bowls are my "thing" but from what I have heard Yew isn't food safe. Is there a way to seal the wood to make it safe? like varnish on the inside?
Also are smaller bits from 16 to 8 inches diameter. There is still an unmolested 5 meter length of trunk available but it is too far and too heavy for me.
so really looking for two bits of advice. 1/ best way to use the bit of main trunk I have and 2/ what can I turn now?

Thanks, pictures enclosed, the bit with the tape measure is 67cm along the tape measure (60cm along the trunk length). For some idea of scale the trailer box is 1.8 meters long and 1.4 meters wide.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Fabulous....a real haul there.

Your choices for turning now aren't great really at least not for finished pieces. You can however do some rough turning with the wood still green. The idea is you turn the bowl to within 10% of its final finished wall thickness and then wrap it in newspaper and store in a cold shed. After "n" months....say 6-12 it will be dry enough to finish. This is a way to speed up the drying process by thinning the material essentially. If you haven't yet turned anything green I thoroughly recommend it...very forgiving and quite therapeutic.

Alternatively, you could try home kiln drying in a microwave. Search for threads on here, its ben covered a bit and bottom line is slowly and in multiple episodes.

Lastly, I always find spindle turnings "survive" better than bowls if the wood isn't yet dry. Candle sticks should be tried. Because wood shrinks across its grain, longitudinal pieces fare better. Just avoid the pith as that shrinks faster than any other part of the trunk.

It is however highly likely some splitting will occur when the wood has so far to go in terms of moisture content.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I have yew bowls I use for snacking foods like peanuts etc with no ill effects, never tried with more wet stuff, but would imagine if its well sealed you should be fine as long as you're not chewing in the edge of the bowl!

 

[chipmunk]

I'd be tempted to cut some of the bigger section pieces down through the pith into halves to reduce the splitting - especially if you intend to make bowls. This is easier with a chainsaw or big bandsaw.

Try to orient the cut so that the two halves are as near semi-circular as you can, so you don't waste too much and so that the final bowls show more or less equal heart/sap wood - Easier said than done in yew with the undulating bark.

If you can turn it thin (~3mm) and even then try turning it green. It will move but shouldn't split. If you're looking for inspiration try this link...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...uTnN-Ow7Qb7_4Ag&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1203&bih=630

HTH
Jon

 

[andersonec]

You are going to have to eat a lot of it to make yourself ill.

Andy

 

[woodfarmer]

You are going to have to eat a lot of it to make yourself ill.

Andy

sure enough, the old archers didn't seem to have any problems.. However I have to be very careful as I hope to make a fruit bowl for my daughter and the grandchildren will be eating from it.

 

[Grahamshed]

I don't think you should take the risk. Get rid of it, put a big puddle between you and it. Send it over here to me

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

My understanding is that Yew leaves are very toxic and were even used to poison unwanted monarchs in medieval times much like deathcap mushrooms were. I also believe if ingested in the right quantities much of the rest of the plant is toxic.

Now I'm not one to side with the nanny state and I have both respect and disdain for health & safety in equal measure. If its genuinely protecting people then sensible, if its telling you how to wipe your own bottom then not so. But even given my open attitude to personal risk I would hesitate to give food to vulnerable groups like young children from a yew vessel. My logic would be....why take that particular risk when there are so many beautiful wood choices that carry zero risk. If it were only my own health in question I'd be far more open to it but other peoples kids, I think I'd draw the line there and restrict bowl production to art and ornamentation rather than kitchenware.

 

[Grahamshed]

My understanding is that Yew leaves are very toxic and were even used to poison unwanted monarchs in medieval times much like deathcap mushrooms were. I also believe if ingested in the right quantities much of the rest of the plant is toxic.

Now I'm not one to side with the nanny state and I have both respect and disdain for health & safety in equal measure. If its genuinely protecting people then sensible, if its telling you how to wipe your own bottom then not so. But even given my open attitude to personal risk I would hesitate to give food to vulnerable groups like young children from a yew vessel. My logic would be....why take that particular risk when there are so many beautiful wood choices that carry zero risk. If it were only my own health in question I'd be far more open to it but other peoples kids, I think I'd draw the line there and restrict bowl production to art and ornamentation rather than kitchenware.

You make a good point.
Kew says that all parts of the Yew are poisonous except for the flesh of the berry ( the seeds are very toxic but not the flesh )
Many, if not most, other woods actually have antiseptic qualities so why not use them for food and keep Yew for ornament ?

 

[Woodmonkey]

It's hard to see how eating a piece of fruit from a yew bowl could possibly be dangerous, again as long as you are not chewing on the actual wood (which could be an issue with young children)