Dry Run went south. Fast.

[4 point]

Tim, did the walnut in your bows break in the center of the handle or at the fades and was it stand alone or did it have another wood laminated in? I have a really nice piece I'd like to use that I was going to laminate with another wood. I've been a little nervous about using it. 

[Holm-Made]

I’m not a fan of walnut risers, not when other woods are cheap and a better choice, ie. Bolivian rosewood. 
That being said, what I would have done is shorten the riser as was your plan.  Get rid of the bad spot.  Then make a power wedge out of something tough.  I do this by making about a .070 parallel and tapering the last 2 inches on each end to nothing.  Whatever you want your finished riser length to be, make the PW an inch longer, as the fades are so much finer.  For example if your plans call for an 18” riser but all you have is 16” or 17” to work with, then make your power wedge 19”.  It would let you turn that shorter riser into an 18” riser then you could have went with the 58” bow.  Make sense?  It also adds a lot of strength to a marginally strong riser wood.

[BigJim]

I use walnut all the time... but I never build a riser with out an I beam anymore.

With a G10 I-beam, I can build with nearly any wood and never have to worry about strength.

BigJim

[Flem]

"I’m not a fan of walnut risers, not when other woods are cheap and a better choice, ie. Bolivian rosewood"

Damn Chad!  Mind sharing where you get Bolivian Rosewood for less than $5.00 a B.F.?

[Bvas]

I’m with Flem and Jim. Walnut is relatively cheap and beautiful. Love using it in risers.

That being said....I don’t think I would ever make a riser out of a solid block of walnut. I either laminate it with other woods, or would use several pieces laminated together so grain doesn’t run thru the entire riser. I also prefer to keep it out of the fades. Not because I fear failure. Just because it chips so easily when you get down to paper thin.

[Holm-Made]

In MN the black walnut is quite light and soft.  I understand that other varieties of walnut are heavier and stronger. 
Since I have to warranty every bow I build I don’t mind spending 15.00 for a longbow riser block. I consider that cheap.
The type of bow you build and the poundage makes a huge difference in what you can cannot get by with.  I also like to cut the shelf in as deep as I can get by with.

[BigJim]

When I use walnut, It is generally stabilized, but since I use a 3/4" G10 I beam in every bow, stabilizing isn't necessary. All of my bows can then be cut past center without concern.
I have some incredible claro walnut burl that just has to be seen. I have also never had a riser issue that was related to a species of wood...except snakewood.

BIgJIm