Longbow Work

The longbow has a bit of a dogleg in it with a sharp reflex and a slight deflex at the tip on one limb. I've steamed it a bit to take out a little of that, it's reduced the reflex from 3 3/4" to 2 3/4" some more of this will pull out during tillering. (Compare the pic on the left with the one in the previous post.)
This deflex and the sideways waggle in the stave makes it a pig to get braced and gives it a tendency to try and bend sideways.
I've teased it slowly back to get it to a decent brace and pulled it to about 22" at 50# so it's well on the way, as I'm working it down I'm taking care to improve the string line and increase the lateral stability*. I haven't really decided which is the upper limb yet as both have features, the lateral waggle, a cluster of pin knots, a small but very dead knot through back and one big knot coming therough the side. The big knot looked very worrying, but as the belly has been worked down it is slowly disappearing leaving a nice swirl of grain and a dip in the heart wood.
I think it will need a lot exercising and slowly teasing it back to full draw, but it should maybe be ready for a test shot by the weekend assuming it doesn't explode!

* As the bows thickness is reduced but it's width satys much the same it becomes increasingly easy to bend towards the belly rather than sideways. I have some extra tip width which allows me to remove wood from one side or other of the tip to adjust the string line to help avoid any tendency to bend sideways. Once the bow is nearing completion the tips get narrowed to fit the horn nocks.