String tracking/twist problem

[RyanY]

So I'm working on a heavy weight warbow and I got it strung up and realized that the string is tracking hard to one side. I felt the limbs of the bow and they're even thickness across the width so I think the problem is from my layout. The bow started as a stave with a couple inches of reflex, so I believe that I must have misdrew it somehow so now when it straightens out, the limbs straighten out to one side. So what I'm wondering is if this is something I should worry about? I've pulled it on the tiller tree quite a few times so I think if it were to twist out then it would have happened already but I still want to be cautious as it's going to be 130#'s. Also if there's a way I could reduce the problem that would be great too but I'm not sure how much I can do since it's near final dimensions and the limbs are fairly even thickness. Thanks.

[George Tsoukalas]

Sometimes you think the wood removal is even and it seems so but the stave has other ideas. If the stave didn't start twisted then fix the twist by removing wood from the strong side. It will always twist towards the weak side. Remove wood from the other side. Jawge

[toomanyknots]

I have to say that I have made a couple longbows from reflexed staves that I ended up getting the alignment a bit off on too. One fix is to try to steam bend one or both of the limbs in a couple strategic places to try to get it right. If you make the belly too deep on a longbow it can also make it more likely to twist, but alignment is the main thing that will make the decision if it twists or not. One thing that makes me rough out misaligned bows is marking a center line or lay out at all on the bows back to follow. If I just mark the nocks and the center of the handle on the staves back, and then rough it out by eye the rest of the way by looking down the stave longwise while roughing it out now and then, it's much easier for me to get it aligned and straight, exc exc...