I've made 3 bows from flowering dogwood. FORGET THE KNOTS if you can use under the bark for the back. Like DRUIDS bows. 55#'S NO PROBLEM. mine were 57, 59 and 63#s all were fast good cast bows. They were 60'62,64"s long. My limbs were 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 for the 63 pounder. But unlike DRUIDS bows I cut shelfs and center shoot my bows.
All 3 of mine the backs looked likes DRUIDS BOWS but with shelfs (center shot.)I haven't built bows with that look for a long time. I like the simplicity looks of the bows back made this way. But VERY VERY few people want there bows to look this way. There all so use to the smooth look of glass bows and thats the way they like selfbows to look.