Are there any Exotic woods that are heavier or as heavy as Phenolic??
Looking for a wood to make the riser of my next bow with and I think I would like the weight of the phenolic in a one Peice bow but would prefer the look of wood.
I saw a cool specific gravity wood chart once Lewis, but can't remember where. I think ipe was one of the heaviest, and does sink in water. There is some ipe with nice grain as well.
I have played with Ipe a little bit but the stuff I had was pretty bland. I had no idea it was that heavy, but then again the peices I was playing with were knife scales.
I will have to look around for a SG list. Thanks Marty!
Snakewood and Lignum Vitae on average are the heaviest woods according to 3 wood ID books that I have read. Lignum Vitae is usually an olive color. Both are expensive and hard to find.
Dan
For good looks AND the weight you are looking for try Honduran Rosewood.
I just bought a used Dale Stahl T/D recurve. I picked it up yesterday. It has a riser built out of Cocobolo that is gorgeous. It is the heaviest riser I've ever had on a wood bow. It outweighs the previous highest weights of a variety of bows with Dymondwood risers.
Bill
Ok, I found one. Lignum Vitae is the heaviest and I knew that but was looking for something with some figure but Snakewood is almost neck and neck with it.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plsept99.htm
Also does anyone know what the Specific Gravity of Phenolc and Dymondwood are??
Here is a link that shows phenolic specific gravity. Scroll down to the table.
http://www.sdplastics.com/phenolic.html
Here is a list of woods.
African Blackwood - {Dalbergia melanoxylon} Average Specific Gravity 1.18
Billian - {Eusideroxylon zwageri} Average Specific Gravity 1.17
Black Ironwood - {Olea laurifolia} Average Specific Gravity 1.08
Brazil Ironwood - Caesalpinia ferrea} Average Specific Gravity 1.18
Brazilwood - {Caesalpinia echinata} Average Specific Gravity 1.22
Burma Ironwood - {Xylia xylocarpa} Average Specific Gravity 1.26
Ceylon Ironwood - {Mesua ferrea} Average Specific Gravity 1.10
CocoBolo Rosewood - {Dalbergia retusa} Average Specific Gravity 1.11
Desert Ironwood - {Olneya tesota} Average Specific Gravity 1.13
East Indian Satinwood, Ceylon - {Chloroxylon swietenia} Average Specific Gravity 1.02
Ebony - {Diospyrus crassiflora} Average Specific Gravity 1.03
Ekki - {Lophira alata} Average Specific Gravity 1.03
Greenheart - {Ocotea rodiaei} Average Specific Gravity 1.03
IPE - {Tabebuia serratifolia} Average Specific Gravity 1.09
Kingwood Rosewood - {Dalbergia cearensis} Average Specific Gravity 1.18
Knobthorn - {Acacia nigrescens} Average Specific Gravity 1.17
Leadwood - {Krugiodendron ferreum} Average Specific Gravity 1.29
Lignum Vitae - {Guaiacum officinale} Average Specific Gravity 1.34
Macassar Ebony - {Diospyros celebica} Average Specific Gravity 1.07
Marblewood - {Diospyros marmorata} Average Specific Gravity 1.03
Mountain Mahogany - {Cercocarpus ledifolius} Average Specific Gravity 1.11
Quebracho - {Schinopsis balansae} Average Specific Gravity 1.26
Satine, Bloodwood - {Brosimum paraense} Average Specific Gravity 1.01
Snakewood - {Piratinera guianensis} Average Specific Gravity 1.37
Sucupira - {Bowdichia nitida} Average Specific Gravity 1.01
White Topped Box - {Eucalyptus quadrangulata} Average Specific Gravity 1.01
Womara - {Swartzia leiocalycina} Average Specific Gravity 1.27
Dennis
Live Oak is another very heavy and very, very hard wood. It eats up the chain on chain saws in a hurry!
Bill