Thanks...Yea know where your coming from Ed...........
I must have to admit after about 75 shots and having it braced for about and hour, it is taking a little set in the handle. But, I didn't heat treat the handle and I thought the handle was always a little thin (from back to belly) but it was all I had to work with in this stave. I've got some leather glued on the belly side of the handle to build it up for a good grip. But I'm going to cut it off and heat treat the heck out of the handle and see if that does it. I dough it ......damaged wood is damaged wood
Hope this helps its the only place at this time it is taking some set.... I hope I haven't damaged the wood to the point that heat treating doesn't work. If not it looks like a bit of deflex / reflex to it. And it's shooting pretty good now.
Till next time.
DBar