Thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate it. This experience has certainly given me much more respect and appreciation for the art of bow building. I will work on tapering those outer parts of the limbs and stay away from that hinge. I npw understand that the hinge will be delineate the limit of my bow draw length and weight. It has been a great experience in any event, and I will certainly attempt to build a new one in the near future.