I'm thinking that experimentally you don't know which factor influenced the change until you isolate your variables. But I suspect you may be right. But on the other hand, you did shift that neutral plane around by your wood removal. Bows usually react with an increase in set when bowyers do that.For example, string bows that are too heavy=add. set. Something has to account for the set reduction...the caul or the flash, mad dash cooling. Jawge