Start-up costs for bow making

[Camilo]

Hi all,

I'm a "bowyer wanna be" who is very interested in building my own bow but would like to get a sense of the realistic costs involved.

To date I have been buying bow blanks - shout out to Kenny for his great products (Tom from Ontario here) - but wanted to take it to the next level. I am really curious about the design and building process, and practically speaking, am having trouble finding anyone who offers a short recurve or hybrid blank (52'-56").

So I was wondering if anyone could give me a very rough estimate on how much it realistically costs to get set-up? Meaning, I can do the math for basic supplies etc. but I imagine there is a great deal of trial and error involved, especially for a beginner.

So I should take the baseline amounts and multiple by ? to get a more accurate estimate. Any suggestions are welcome and thanks!

Tom.

[monterey]

Thats a difficult question to answer.  I'll start with "what tools do you have?".  You can build bows with nothing but hand tools or you can do it with a full on shop. 

[Camilo]

Sorry I should have provided some more detail in terms of equipment.

So far I have been using mainly hand-tools with the exception of my belt/disc sander and drill press for sanding drums. My neighbour also is a furniture maker and said I can go to his shop anytime - I would take him up on that to build the forms, heating box etc.

Tool wise I think things are covered. It's the other costs which are uncertain.

Maybe the better question is how many versions of a design/test models do you typically go through before you find one that works?

[Mad Max]

So you talking about fiberglass laminated bows?
52" to 56" is short, don't think you find any bow plans for that short.
Binghams has a All in one kit for 58" or 60"
https://binghamprojects.com/store/all-in-one-starter-kit-for-your-first-bow-copy/

Or blue prints only
https://binghamprojects.com/store/blueprints-only/
The hardest part is making a good form. you need a 1/2" shank router for your first time to get a good square form.
You could get started with what you have and a router.
Kenny cam make your lams and so on, and later down the road he could make .001-.002-.003 sanding sleds, you need a thickness sander to do that.

[Camilo]

Yes a fiberglass laminated bow. The shortest plans I have seen are for 58".

Years ago Don Dow made me a 52" recurve blank and a 54" hybrid blank. Those were the only blanks I have seen offered that short with the exception of 7 Lakes Longbows where Mike has a 54" recurve and a 56"-60" hybrid. I've tried most of Mike's blanks but not the hybrid as a aesthetically I'm looking for something a bit different.

[Mad Max]

I would thing you could shorten the Binghams riser 2" and get 56" bow or maybe 1" off both limbs and 2" off the riser for a 54".

[KenH]

You don't NEED a hot box.  EA-40 dries perfectly in temperatures over 70F.  You don't NEED a fancy pressure hose form; I've built lots of recurve bows with a form cut out of a 2x12 using bicycle innertube bands to hold things together while the glue dries. 

If, however, you mean those 3-piece bolt-together bows, then you probably want the fancy form.  Although I have seen a beautiful 3-piece bow built in Indonesia using literally hand tools and a powered 'palm sander' to finish.

You can sink a TON of $$$ in this hobby, if you have the money to spare.  Not all of us do, yet we still build good bows.

[Flem]

If you have access to a wood shop, you have the start-up costs covered. Materials are an unavoidable fixed cost for everybody. Of course you can minimize your material costs by a number of methods. Local hardwoods in a raw state can be had for free, if you are resourceful and not too picky. Of course you have to mill them, but thats not difficult. You likely won't be able to avoid buying adhesives and fiberglass. But if you order for multiple bows, you can save on shipping costs. Also everybody loves EA-40, but it has a shelf life and you can end up wasting some if you don't use it up in a reasonable amount of time. Their  are lots of other epoxy's that work well and will last indefinitely.

[Camilo]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll likely try to keep the equipment side low tech as I don't have a ventilated shops so all my cutting, shaping and sanding is done outside.

That being said, I also just remembered an old co-worker whose husband builds custom stairs and has a CNC machine which I may be able to use for the forms.

When it comes to plans, Mad Max raises an good question. Can you take existing plans and tweak them? Or would it be better for a beginner to stick to a proven plan/design until I learn the technical side of things and then to start messing with designs?

[Mad Max]

I sure alot of us take a bow we like and make a form and change it some.
 or bow plan's and change them

[buckeyebowhunter]

The Bingham kits are nice to start with. I think the big kit they offer is like 200 bucks. You can always start there and modify to your liking and ask question here.

[Mad Max]

Keep us posted on what your going to do

[quail]

Western Bowhunter Podcast (episode 117) by South Cox, aka Stalker Stickbows. Interviews Chad Holm, Holm-Made bows. Great for someone thinking about building a bow.

https://fulldrawfulltime.libsyn.com/wbh-ep-117-tips-for-aspiring-bowyers-with-chad-holm

Also, Kenny McKenzie, AKA Kenny's Archery, frequent contributor here, has kits available. I believe he has a bow blank that is glued up and ready for you to shape the riser and finish. Good way to wade into the shallow end of the pool. Kenny is a great guy. Give him a call, he will be glad to help you with materials, plans etc.

https://www.kennysarchery.com/dr-longbow-kits

[Camilo]

Thanks for the links to the podcast. I've been a fan of bow building videos on YouTube which show how Big Jim, South Cox, Chuck Deshler, Jim Belcher and a few more make their bows.

In regards to Kenny, I've finished one of his longbow blanks - he has the best looking bocote - and am in correspondence with him about a couple other blank projects. But this thread got me thinking that maybe I should ask him about tweaking one of this existing models to shorten it a bit if possible.

[Crittergetter]

I just did some figuring and this should get you started!

[Crittergetter]

 

Seriously, you can build decent bows with very little power equipment if you have the time, Patience, and are good with your hands.
However,, it’s a never ending rabbit hole that will suck a fortune out of you if you let it!
It doesn’t help I’m a tool freak and will find a way to justify a new tool! Lol
When you make a living off of it your always trying to find a way to be more efficient!

[Crittergetter]

Kenny has a great build along here on TG and will help you getting started and covers all the basics.   it’s up to you how far you go with it .