Post your home made tools

[scottm]

NightHawk What are you trying to mount your stave vice to.Mine is mounted to my work bench.Works Great!I can also move it out side and slip it on to a 2"pipe,clamp it to a picknick table with two c-clamps,or 4 lag bolts.If yo have a concrete floor in your shop there are many mounting options as long as you dont mined drilling some holes.I also should clarify.The heavy wall conduit that I had trouble finding is 2.5".I welded it to the bottom of the stave vice that way I can slip it over a stadard 2" water pipe in the yard.

[4est trekker]

Well, these are more for arrow making, but they're homemade nonetheless:

Feather Grinder:

 

 

 

 


Spine Tester:

 

 

 


Feather Chopper:

 

[4est trekker]

Here's an example of the finished product.  These are my latest: Poplar dowels, natural LW turkey primaries, footed with brass tubing (90 grains each.)

 

 

[fish n chicks]

Originally posted by 4est trekker:
Here's an example of the finished product.  These are my latest: Poplar dowels, natural LW turkey primaries, footed with brass tubing (90 grains each.)

 

 

Dude those are awesome! How do you use your feather chopper? I must admit, that little shaving vise you got is pretty sweet too.

[fish n chicks]

By comparison, my router table fence doesn't even compare to some of the tools i've seen already. I'm going to have to step my game up. Pics to come!

[BJP]

Any chance we could get a close up of the brass footing on those shafts i like that idea

[4est trekker]

I like a LOT of weight up front on my arrows.  It's based on the principle described here:   http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Three-Darts-W13.aspx

I generally get 30 grains/inch when footing 5/16" shafts with brass tubing.  These things recover QUICKLY, hit hard, and are easy on targets.  Plus, I find I get better penetration because the brass is more frictionless than wood, and after the diameter of the wood is less than the brass tubing, which also equals less friction.  I cut them off with a tubing cutter, debur them, and secure them with a little superglue or hot melt adhesive.  The tubing cutter leaves a slightly beveled edge.  The is great when the arrow is going in, and is especially nice when pulling from a target as it equates to a very smooth transition.

Your arrows will increase in measured spine, but will decrease in effective spine because more weight up front has the effect if decreasing the spine when fired from the bow.  I find that adding these footings is about a wash in terms of spine weight, but sure makes my arrows recovery quickly and hit harder.

[BJP]

Thanks i think i will give it a try. Those are some nice lookin arrows.

[fish n chicks]

While working on my first bow I got a few lil tools made that helped tremendously. The first was taking some scrap 1" dowel, and zip tying sandpaper to a 8" length, and a 12" length. This allowed me to get good rapid sanding in on curves and even the flat spots of the bow. The 8" was for one handed operation, and the 12" (not pictured) was awesome for 2 handed.

I tried weighing poundage on a kitchen scale, but it was just too cumbersome. So I went to my tackle box and grabbed my digi scale, turned it on, drew to my desired draw length, and read the readout. Easy and accurate.


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[Swissbow]

This drum sander comes in very handy at grinding the fades on a riser. The electric machine I bought for 20 bucks and the wood I got at the wood department of the supermarket for 6 bucks. The drum I made out of a piece of alu I found at work.

 

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Andy

[Bow-cephus]

Wow these all look great guys, I'll be making some for sure! Hey I'm new to this has anyone figured out a way to taper a strip/stave/stick/etc. without a handtool or easier than a draw knife? I started with board bows but would like to taper and back them now and am at a loss so far!

Thanks

[tawmio]

the drumsander is a clesco 3 x 3 inch drum that fits on a half inch motor shank cost me about $15, the other is a 12" disk sander from a garage sale for $1.

 

 

/Tommy

[fish n chicks]

I never thought it could be so easy to make myself a drum sander till I saw these great examples. Great post fellas!!

[Ostrorogi]

You all know what this is i think...

 

[Robertfishes]

I made this swing jig the other night, I used Ideas from several jig pics I saw..gonna make some clamps and legs like P.Petes jig.    

[fish n chicks]

Man I sure would love to see some more of these home made tools. I'm loving the drum sanders.

Anybody use anything other than a saw file for the nocks? I haven't found a file yet that'll do what I want it to.

[Apex Predator]

Here is an adjustable form I built for laminated all wood bows.  I aluminum tracks I found in a dumpster!  I think they are for mounting track lights.  Every post is adjustable in position for different length bows, and height adjustable for different amounts of R/D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scottm]

Very cool!I just may have to try my hand at a jig like yours.im going to build a couple of r/d bamboo backed all wood bows.Your jig looks like it allows for alot of adjustment.I like that idea.

[walkabout]

heres my homemade serving jig. i use it for serving and cresting and  some other stuff when i need an extra hand wrapping anything. ill hunt up all my homemade tools and post more pics.      

[ChristopherO]

I just finished up a spindle sander that looks very similar to Tawmio's, pictured above.  It has been on the back burner for a while but after seeing his and getting some information and encouragement from Tawmio in a PM it was settled in my mind to get it done.  With a partial sheet of 3/4" veneer ply that has been in the garage for 15 years, an old, I mean 30+ years old dryer motor from a friend who had it on hand, a smooth formicatable top from the local Skyline Chili that another friend was swapping out, a 3" spindle built out of MDF, a hole saw, TTB111 and a neighbor's lathe based on BenBow's drumsander design, an 1/2" handle bolt, a rigid shaft coupler my do-it-all brother created on his sparetime (a couple of minute for him), a piece of bike innertube to cover the spindle and a $2.49 3"x3" 36 grit sanding sleeve I picked up at Grainger last Friday to top it off with allowed me to sand and mate my first ever riser cut out!
Now, feathering the riserfades and matching riser blocks together for laminated bows will not be the frustating endevour I've dealt with in the past on Bamboo backed bows.  
My next project is to seal the threads on the cheap Chineese made pipe ends for the firehose clamping system.  They are so course that Teflon tape alone won't seal them.  That's, as we always said in the construction trades, is what they make caulk for.  In this instance Black PL Polyurethaine caulk and 3 days time to set up.  This product is great for many things, even resealing expensive hunting boot soles back together with.  
It won't be long and I will be completely ready to start my first fiberglass bow.  Its incredible how much we have to make before the bow making really begins, isn't it.  Oh, I suppose I could have shelled out the $200.00 for the Rigid sander combo but where's the fun in that?  (Spending the money on a tight budget, that is  :D  )