Looking to make an ibeam riser and am wanting the core to be as strong as possible. Also added weight would be nice as well. What material is the strongest out there? I've heard about 'dark matter' but I don't know if that's the strongest or even where a guy can find it. Phenolic is tough but there has to be stronger materials out there.

What weight or design of a bow are you making that would require something stronger than phenolic?

Looking to try a two piece 'locker socket' type takedown on a longbow and was just wanting to have it really solid for anything I built that's a little heavier in draw weight. Just wondering what options there are out there.

cast iron.

Haha, ok maybe I should clarify...it has to be a material I can glue up and that can be sanded.

nah, cast iron is too brittle.  Just go with solid 400 series stainless    

Never heard of "dark matter", but phenolic would be more than enough, I would think.  Unless you went with a thick piece of carbon fiber or kevlar.  But that's getting kinda ridiculous.

Dymondwood - it's hard and heavy.

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Andy

Kenny M is a sponsor here, check out his home page and look at the riser material he has. He has actionwood which is very strong material. Tell him Roy sent ya and he might give you a discount.. Well maybe ya better not mention me or he might charge ya double:) LOL

  http://www.kennyscustomarchery.com/index.html

Guys have been using G10 in risers, I believe it is thick glass. Not sure if they use it for the entire riser.

Check with Kirk at Bigfoot , I'm sure he is using it some...

U r right Kenny, it IS kinda thick glass. I`ve recently seen one of Kirk`s TDs with such a riser for sale- it seems to be build for eternity...

I am not sure if this is what you are asking...but here goes...this comes from a lot of mistakes on my end...

some of the really cool exotics are difficult to manage especially in colder temps...Ebony for one gave me many nightmares...

here are my fav's...shedua,Coca Bola, Bocote ...and then ash, hickory, black locust and of course Osage...
all these woods glue well...and are pretty good looking too...

Thanks for all the replies. I think the G10 material may be what I'm looking for. I'll have to contact Kirk and see his experiences with it. I'm doing a locket socket on a junk bow riser right now to try it out....seems to be going alright.
I appreciate you're help.

What is a locket socket?

It's similar to a sleeve style takedown but is made by cutting the grip in half at an angle an wrapping it with strips of fiberglass. The one side has a release agent applied so once it dries you can pull the one half out. Black widow uses it if you do a quick google search you can see pictures.

Big Jim sells 1/8" fiberglass that I think he uses for his socket takedowns.  I used it to reinforce my dual riser bow.  Seems sturdy.

G10 is extremely strong stuff but a bear to work with. Even the 0.062" sheet made short work of my bandsaw blade.

Which is heavier between G10, phenolic and Dymondwood? Which is stiffer? Are Dymondwood and Futurewood the same stuff? How do they compare to exotic woods like Cocobolo and ebony?

Well I was thinking of putting a 5/8 inch thick ibeam piece of G10 down the middle of the riser. If I went that route I would end up having to cut into it 5/16 to cut the bow to center and also obviously would need to cut the entire riser shape out of the stuff...might go through a bandsaw blade in the process by the sounds of it?

I bet 5/8" thick glass would eat a couple blades for breakfast and want more!! LOL

Lignum Vitae will sink in water. Heaviest and hardest wood out there and not too expensive. I have heard you can split an pine log with a wedge of it.  Easy to work too but not terribly pretty. Sandwich a quarter inch strip of G10 or phenolic in the middle for an I -beam  and it will be very heavy and bomb proof. LV is pretty oily so wipe glueing  surfaces with acetone before glue up.

Bonner