first build, need critqued

[briarjumper12]

Hello to all.
This is my first shot at building my own equipment.  I would like some you folks that know what your doing to critique me on this.  I have made a little farther than the pics show but not that much.  This piece of wood is a 66 in pig nut hickory stave from a 14 in diameter log.  I have the rest of the stave safely drying.  This wood is still green and I plan to work it down and put in a hot box.  I may even clamp it to a form during drying to put in some reflex.  Since taking these photos I have completed the side profile and have begun working on the belly of one limb.  As you can see from the pics the grain is not straight on on one limb tip and I am unsure of how to handle that if it don't come out during the reflexing\\drying process.  Thanks for you comments, if you something wrong please don't hesitate to tell me.
one end
 
the other end
 
the whole thing
 
another whole shot
 

 I will get some updated pics tonight and post em up tomorrow if possible.  I am really needing some help on working down the belly.

[Pat B]

That is pretty darn straight. Not enough bend to worry about. Leave your tips and handle area wide and you can make some adjustments later when you shape them. That's not until the limbs are almost fully tillered though.
  Keep removing wood but don't go past floor tiller stage; 4" or less of tip movement, until the wood is dry. You can clamp it to a form to induce some back set and to help eliminate and twist while drying.
  Keep us posted!

[Dano]

What Pat said exactly.   :D

[briarjumper12]

Here's some updated pics I took a little while ago.  I been working on thinning down the fade area on the belly.  I am having a hard time reading the growth rings, I know they should be pointing straight down the limb but what do you do if the point is on one side or the other?  Do you take off wood on the side where the point is or the other side?
My line down the side of the limbs didn't work out to good either because I don't yet have a clamp strong enough to flatten the limbs down but I will remedy that problem on payday.
 
 
 

[Pat B]

Don't worry if the grain points don't point straight down the limbs. Concentrate on proper tillering and let the grain lay where it may. That is not important.

[briarjumper12]

Thanks Pat, I was worried about that.

[Pat B]

I've been making wood bows for a long time and very rarely had the grain points straight down the middle. That is only in a perfect world and wood bow building is anything but perfect.

[Art B]

Study the butt end (tips) of your growth rings. If the rings are even and consistant in thickness from side to side then your your rings will flare out in the center of your limb. But if the rings run, say, from thick to thin then the belly rings will flare out to the thin side I believe. ART

[briarjumper12]

Thanks Art.  I was just looking at the tips last night and trying to figure out what the grain should be doing...I stared at it till I was crossed eyed and still come up with a satisfactory conclusion.  Now I see what your saying.  I got the belly thickness all layed out this morning before work and have one of the fades almost there.