That is some of the better looking faux snakeskin I have seen. Looks good! Why did you back it? Just for looks? Because if so, that worked. Good looking bow overall!
"Elm is tough to rough out, only hand tools on this one." Yes it is. Even worse when knotty or snakey. It really fights you, clogging rasps up after a few strokes, peeling up long slivers that twist if you hit against the grain, etc... but I LOVE the stuff otherwise! I have learned to mostly "chop" it to shape. I like my a machetes, farriers rasp, and a small, heavy knife I have, and to use big, sharp scrapers instead of the drawknife/ spokeshave combo, planes, and stuff like that. Esp if there are any knots or lumps. However, if you heat temper your belly, it acts different, and will take the spokeshave and rasps nicely.
"I'd move the flipped tips out 2-3" if I had it to do over and I'd wait to flip them after brace to make tillering easier."
This style is the main bow style I make, kind of by default due to wood availability. (Lot's of elm saplings where I live and less of everything else.) I do just what you said you'd do next time. I usually have some heat straightening to do before I can get past floor-tillering, so I count that as belly tempering. I get em very close on tiller and draw weight, say out to 26" draw or more. I usually have just about 1-1.25" set by then on a 66-70" bow. I flip the tips about 1" ahead of the handle, finish tiller, and maybe touch up the belly temper. Flipping almost finished tips is easier than narrowing and tillering flipped tips. It's too easy to create a thin spot where the reflex angle starts.
Welcome.
