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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: oldandslow on April 14, 2021, 09:50:32 PM

Title: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 14, 2021, 09:50:32 PM
My last topic ended up drowning in whisky :biglaugh: maybe this one will go better...

What do I watch out for when picking wood for risers? Anything I should know to stay away from?
Knots obviously. How about grain structure?
Do risers with added wood accents need to  e glued
 With epoxy or is titebond3 good enuf
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: JamesV on April 14, 2021, 10:42:49 PM
I only build glass bows and glue all my risers with smooth-on

James
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 14, 2021, 11:27:24 PM
My last topic ended up drowning in whisky :biglaugh: maybe this one will go better...

What do I watch out for when picking wood for risers? Anything I should know to stay away from?
Knots obviously. How about grain structure?
Do risers with added wood accents need to  e glued
 With epoxy or is titebond3 good enuf


Yeah I got a hangover from that thread.  Guess it depends on the style of bow. I can speak to low stress designs. Just about anything will work. Lots of Hill style bow's with stacked bamboo handles in use. I have used Poplar, Walnut, Cherry, none of which would be recommended  in a reflexed design.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Roy from Pa on April 15, 2021, 04:13:59 AM
LOL
I've been doing research on pickling bow wood wif Honey whiskey but decided it could lead to impairment....

The wood selection for a riser should be strong and defect free and closed pores, unless you want to take the time to seal up the open pores.

Oh crap, you said picking bow wood, I misunderstood and thought you said pickling bow wood.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Longcruise on April 15, 2021, 09:19:17 AM
A pickled bow would be impossible to tune.   :o

And another of Olds topics goes into a ditch full of booze!   :biglaugh:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 15, 2021, 09:22:53 AM
If you want to keep a clear head when pickling out your riser wood, drink Tequila, not Bourbon.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Mad Max on April 15, 2021, 09:55:11 AM
If you buy from archery suppliers like Kennym you don’t have to worry about it
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Longcruise on April 15, 2021, 10:06:04 AM
If you buy from archery suppliers like Kennym you don’t have to worry about it

Yes, that's the way to go.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 11:09:06 AM
If you buy from archery suppliers like Kennym you don’t have to worry about it

If I lived in the US of A I probably would!
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Mad Max on April 15, 2021, 11:27:52 AM
When you ask you question you need to add where your live  :biglaugh:
Someone up there need to go into the archery business
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Bowjunkie on April 15, 2021, 11:28:21 AM
I look for wood that is hard, heavy, pretty, and complimentary to the limb wood color for that bow. I also try to use flat sawn wood and orient it so the grain(growth rings) look nicer on the sides of the riser where more of it is visible, and the quartersawn side, if indeed stronger as some claim, better resists the direction of strain when drawn.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 15, 2021, 11:46:02 AM
When you ask you question you need to add where your live  :biglaugh:
Someone up there need to go into the archery business


Those are good points. Where do you live? West? Prairie,Mountain,Coastal? Might be resources you can acquire without money ;)
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 02:03:09 PM
When you ask you question you need to add where your live  :biglaugh:
Someone up there need to go into the archery business


Those are good points. Where do you live? West? Prairie,Mountain,Coastal? Might be resources you can acquire without money ;)
 

Straight north from the good folks of Montana!
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 15, 2021, 02:54:08 PM
Well that narrows it down to three Provinces, about 2,000,000 sq. miles, 4 or 5 climate zones and desert like to subarctic.  :cheesy:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Crooked Stic on April 15, 2021, 03:13:00 PM
A lot can be done with good maple and Cactus juice and die.
Aztec gold
(https://i.imgur.com/PYFIuwa.jpg)
Ambrosia maple and blue
(https://i.imgur.com/R3qhhyZ.jpg)
greenish blk.
(https://i.imgur.com/L5cN6rr.jpg)
More blue(https://i.imgur.com/3wa5jzS.jpg)
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Longcruise on April 15, 2021, 03:14:20 PM
Well that narrows it down to three Provinces, about 2,000,000 sq. miles, 4 or 5 climate zones and desert like to subarctic.  :cheesy:

And a quite a few soft coniferous woods that will probably make much better arrows than risers!  :)
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 04:38:54 PM

Nice wood! :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 04:39:44 PM
Well that narrows it down to three Provinces, about 2,000,000 sq. miles, 4 or 5 climate zones and desert like to subarctic.  :cheesy:

Where r you in relation to Kailspell and Missoula?
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Mad Max on April 15, 2021, 04:46:14 PM
You want the Riser grain running from back to belly for more strength  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: wood carver 2 on April 15, 2021, 06:26:40 PM
You can’t go wrong with an I-beam. If you’re not 100% sure of the strength of the wood you want for your riser, just glue in a nice strong I-beam.
Dave.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 15, 2021, 06:58:41 PM
Well that narrows it down to three Provinces, about 2,000,000 sq. miles, 4 or 5 climate zones and desert like to subarctic.  :cheesy:

Where r you in relation to Kailspell and Missoula?

I'm west of the CD at 4000' in the outer Great Basin influence zone. So we have sage, Juniper, cactus and Ponderosa.
Not much hardwood, but we do have Serviceberry, Mountain Mahogany, Mountain Maple, Yew and Rocky Mt. Juniper which is very similar to ERC. All of which I harvest and use. Might as well take advantage of the resources available where you live.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 07:05:52 PM
Maybe I'll have a chat with the guy at the wood store about what I want to do. They know wood!
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 07:10:22 PM
Well that narrows it down to three Provinces, about 2,000,000 sq. miles, 4 or 5 climate zones and desert like to subarctic.  :cheesy:

Where r you in relation to Kailspell and Missoula?

I'm west of the CD at 4000' in the outer Great Basin influence zone. So we have sage, Juniper, cactus and Ponderosa.
Not much hardwood, but we do have Serviceberry, Mountain Mahogany, Mountain Maple, Yew and Rocky Mt. Juniper which is very similar to ERC. All of which I harvest and use. Might as well take advantage of the resources available where you live.  :thumbsup:

You're almost in Idaho!
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: kennym on April 15, 2021, 08:28:18 PM
As said, hard and heavy usually means strong, barring any knots or defects.

I like the grain to run back to belly as pointed out earlier. 

I need to test the difference in that and the opposite. 

The flat grain on sides of riser will always look better tho IMO...
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 15, 2021, 08:51:29 PM
 :wavey:
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 16, 2021, 10:50:35 AM
                                " You're almost in Idaho!"

I could walk to Idaho in a few hours if it weren't for those damn 10,000 ft mountains in the way!
And you? Mountains or Prairie environment nearby?
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 16, 2021, 11:16:49 AM
                                " You're almost in Idaho!"

I could walk to Idaho in a few hours if it weren't for those damn 10,000 ft mountains in the way!
And you? Mountains or Prairie environment nearby?

I'm in Calgary.  Mountains on one side and prairie on the other!
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Longcruise on April 16, 2021, 11:27:05 AM
                                " You're almost in Idaho!"

I could walk to Idaho in a few hours if it weren't for those damn 10,000 ft mountains in the way!
And you? Mountains or Prairie environment nearby?

I'm in Calgary.  Mountains on one side and prairie on the other!

That's like my neighborhood.   In 20 minutes I can be at 11,000 feet to the west but can go east over hundreds of miles of Prairie.   The best of both worlds.   :)
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: Flem on April 16, 2021, 11:27:47 AM
Thats a great city! Have not been there for some time, but I remember when I use to hitch rides, going thru town the RCMP would give you a ride to the city limits. Don't think they were doing me a favor, but they were always nice about it.
Title: Re: Picking out wood for risers
Post by: oldandslow on April 16, 2021, 02:07:08 PM
Thats a great city! Have not been there for some time, but I remember when I use to hitch rides, going thru town the RCMP would give you a ride to the city limits. Don't think they were doing me a favor, but they were always nice about it.

Back in the day the RCMP were a.decent bunch. Hopefully they still are. Have good memories of growing up in a small town where they were always very active in sports and for the most part were well respected.  But that's another story from an easterner!