T/D Recurve Riser Design

[jvermast]

Looking for opinions, personally I am thinking the top one will be stronger and look nicer in the end once the edges are rounded off etc. I think the bottom one will introduce too much work at the shelf area.

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Thoughts?

[Glunt]

I prefer the top, but with either would be gun shy of having the 90deg corner & horizontal glue lines where the black accent and red come together anywhere that takes stress.  Probably would hold fine, but when I think of all the force near the center of a riser it seems like a possible issue.

[BenBow]

Glunt +2

[jvermast]

Very good points, I wonder if I increased the angle (currently it's about 80 degrees) so that it's move a V shape it would be OK?

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[ONE SHOT]

The angle design is much stronger because of the increased glue surface. I would also suggest you use a toothing plane on these mating surfaces.

What is better yet, and I use this technique on a lot of the bows I build, is to include a vertical stack-up lamination running the entire length of the riser. Buy doing this you are increasing the strength of the web. a steel "I" beam gets it's strength from the depth of the web and not the flanges. Same principal applies here.

Then you can have the angled design on either side of the vertical lamination, meeting at the same point. Makes for a very attractive riser design. The two outboard laminations will then become side plates on the riser. Make the vertical lamination at least 5/8"-3/4" thick.

[StoneAK]

The second top picture looks good as Kirkill has told me in the past doing an I beam design in the riser will add provided strength and help overall

[Sixby]

You are sacrificing strength for design. The top of your sight window needs to be deeper. I have to be honest in this. I would not want to pull any of those bows at 55 lbs. I'm not sure about the angles wedges of wood or the insert in the shelf. You really need a stripe going through the entire riser that comes close to the deepest part of the grip. I like a continuous piece of glass or phenolic on the back of the riser too , this creates a sanwich between the too that works together similar to the core does between the glass on the limbs. I think if you widen that area at the top of the window though it will help tremendously.

God bless and Merry Christmas, Steve

[Crooked Stic]

Yep I would lose the shelf thingys and take Steves advice here.