Steve, your information is all good. Preventing the wood from breaking down without overbuilding is a fine line for sure.
This certainly is what we are all trying to do. The key to why bows of vastly different woods in the same length and design of bow
will be the same mass just before the wood breaks down, has to do with how a bow works, how it stores energy, and its motion.
I have a whole chapter on it. I think it is cool stuff, because once it is understood, you can manipulate it. Take advantage of it.
It takes a long time just to list the ways you can use it/ exploit it. It is possible to come to the right conclusion by paying attention to detail and observing the outcomes of bows built, without enderstanding fully what is happening and why.
Dan
