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some advice on knots

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Ruddy Darter:
I've decided on reducing down my 160 Italian yew, I made a bit of a hash of it a while back trying to even out the tiller, it's thick and thin in places it shouldn't be so I'm going to shorten it from 81&/4" to 78" (off the top limb only) and I copied some specs from Norwegian bows and going to mark out rough dimensions for 130-150 which should cover my mistakes, I measured every 10cm with callipers and should have plenty of wood still.
Before I mark it out properly I hoped for some advice on knots on the top limb and what sort of considerations I should take when I narrow the bow. They are shown in order working up the limb ( the bottom limb is pretty clean, just pins)
The first pic is where the new centre is, roughly 2" lower than what it was. As you can see I have plenty of wood.
(The written number is what it will be reduced to in mm)
The third pic is side view of previous knot pic
 thanks for any advice, I'm just sizing it up at the moment before I talk myself into making a proper start.
Ruddy

FilipT:
I am also making bow from dimensions at Norwegian warbows site, although mine is from hazel. I see you are also a "caliper guy" like me :)

Ruddy Darter:
Hi Stalker, yes the callipers are a recent purchase after some good advice on here  :)

 Ruddy.

Del the cat:
Hard to offer specific advice, but I'd be tempted to allow extra width round those knots rather than extra thickness.
Extra width gives you more sapwood to keep the back strong.
I'd also reduce the length as little as possible, you can always take more off later, maybe just take off 2 inches, it waont make much differnce at the grip, but may just give you some wriggle room later.
I tend to follow the principal of always take off about 2/3 of what you think you should.
Del

Ruddy Darter:
Thanks Del, I agree with extra width rather than thickness, extra thickness is the main cause of the problems to start with. I've move the handle down south two inches and will be taking off the top limb so I can take out some little stress splits that have occurred under where it has been left thick around the back of those double knots (shown in pic), they look like they may get worse. So I'm going to get it back to something like a stave and restart rather than tiller as is, not really fussed what weight I get, heavy or light..just a nice 78" working bow. The specs I've copied with the length I'm aiming for fits within all the irregularities.
At the moment it goes thick and thin and thick and bulbous around that knot and stressing above and below it.
Anyway, I'll probably stare at it for a few hours and then put it back to rest for a few weeks , :D
Ideally I want to get a couple of staves and start bows from scratch and then go back to it.
 Ruddy.

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