I got the bow finished, a few tricky moments with splits and cracks, but I've shot over 100 arrows through it taking the arrow right to the tip of the pile. It's 71" ntn and measured 44# @ 28". It took a whisker of string follow after a mornings shooting but recovered to a bit of natural reflex/backset.
The English Yew stave was given to me by one of my friends, it had apparently been lying in a barn for 8 years, it had been split from a log, and it was very narrow in places with splits and cracks running into the wood. First shot at full draw there was tic
and a small crack opened up on the corner of side/back... it was at a very shallow angle and more of a splinter than a serious crack. I flexed the bow, flooded it with low viscosity CA, clamped it and left it 24hrs... whew, it was fine
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The grip had a huge bulge on the back and was slightly concave across the width, I built it up with leather and glue which was rasped to shape before the black leather grip (from an old motorcycle jacket) was added.
Del