Well I found some leather scraps (from those little squares of leather you have on the back of jeans) and made an arrow rest and strike plate. I glued the strike plate and three layers on before carving it all up. I wrapped with jute twine then singed off the little extra fibres like if it was a bowstring. The handle now smells a bit like strong bacon
. I just hope Manny hasn't patented this kind of handle.
Getting her braced (with a new 8 strand double reinforced loop Flemish I twisted up) I heard a crack
. The other side of the handle (thick side) now has this big crack running across it. I think Fir is incompatible with my incompetence. I'll be sanding both sides flat and gluing on a thin lamination that will feather out somewhere on the limb.
I have a fir riser glued up on another floor tillered bow I shall be planing off as soon as I can. I'll be sticking to hardwoods from now on.