Question on riser overlays .... should I go for it.

[LittleBen]

This is the riser on my latest project. Wenge and curly maple. I'm debating if I should do some overlays over the front of the riser.

Either I can round off the angles along th efront of the riser and run the overlays (or at least one phenolic layer) across the whole front of the riser including the limb pads.

I'm leaning towards just gluing phenolic-maple-phenolic strips across just the front flat portion of the riser and blending it in .... 1/16" thick for each layer.

What do you guys think? It'd be black phenolic.

[Trux Turning]

I would go for it!! Most of my TD risers I run the phenolic across the entire length.

[LittleBen]

I'm just realizing that since I already installed the mounting hardware it might be a bastard to do it.

Maybe I can measure the location of the pins and holes and pre drill them on the phenolic before I laminate it on?

[Crooked Stic]

Another thing you could do would be cut the front of the riser to the shape you want then measure the thickness of your overlays. With the belly side still square and flat run it thru the table saw taking off the thickness of your overlays. That should let you put the overlays in shelf and sight window area for added strength. Ending up with something like this.  

[LittleBen]

Thats nice. I think that's what I'll do. Is that glass or phenolic?

[jess stuart]

I have always put the left over glass from the limbs over the back of the riser. It is cheap insurance, never had a riser break since I began adding the glass.  With the insert and pins it would be tough.  Doing what Crooked Stic suggests is probably the best bet at this point.

[Roy from Pa]

Sweet, Mike.

[Crooked Stic]

That one has clear over black glass. Yeah jess I got a pile of limb glass cut offs that can be used for riser or tip overlays.

[LittleBen]

Do you think phenolic and maple will also provide decent insurance? I wanted to avoid glass since there's no glass in the bow as it is.

Maybe I need to suck it up and buy some black glass ....

I think I can just pre-drill the overlay material for the pins and bolt holes without too much trouble so I think I will just do that and strengthen it as much as I can.

[Roy from Pa]

Ah Ben, a little glass never hurt no one..  

[LittleBen]

surprised to hear that coming from you Roy!