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NAME/S
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Yew (Taxus baccata)
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SUB NAMES/S
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None
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TRADE NAME/S
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Sometimes referred to as Yewtree
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APPEARANCE
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The heartwood of Yew is light red varying to deep brown in colour. Darker streaks are sometimes present in the light coloured wood. The sapwood is white. The growth rings vary widely in width even within individual rings. This gives rise to a very pronounced decorative appearance. Yewtree wood can contain ingrowing bark and clusters of knots.Yew burrs can occur that when cut show as tightly clustered buds or tiny pip knots. With age and exposure to light, the wood mellows in colour to an overall golden brown.
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ORIGIN
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Yew is indigenous to Europe and some parts of Asia, the Himalayas and Burma.
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MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
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Density is 670kg/m3 . The wood is strong and durable.
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AVAILABILITY
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Yew is available in the solid and in the veneer form though it is scarce and highly priced.
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USE AS TIMBER CUTS FEATURES
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Due to the small sizes of timber produced and its irregular and interlocking grain structure, the solid material has little application other than for turning,carving and small parts for furniture. It is used for archery bows. The best logs are used for the production of veneer.
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USE AS VENEER CUTS APPEARANCES
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Yew is highly prized as decorative veneer, which often incorporates as much of the useable material as can be cropped from the bundles. This brings in sapwood and heartwood mixtures, which often also contain burred areas, knots and clusters. Quantities of matching veneer are small so careful thought has to be given to any area matching discipline. Veneer is often short so it may be necessary to plan for its application as quartered panels.
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RELATIVE COST/of 10
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6 to 10 for the burr veneer.
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PROPERTIES- MACHINING, FINISHING, JOINTING
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Yew has a fine texture and takes polish well. Knowledge and experience are essential when working with this material. It is probably necessary to include a wide range of features into the appearance approval specification.
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SEASONING
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The timber is one that dries rapidly but care is needed to avoid shakes.
