Help setup my shop

[Fishinglink]

Ok guys, I’m looking to setup a small hobby wood shop for bow building. I have some tools already but I’m looking for opinions on the must haves. Also looking for specs for a hot box for curing. Not planning on doing large volume but will probably do 4 bows next year and then see where this takes me. Have a few friends and family members that appreciate wood working skills and bows so I see some gifts in the future.

Wanting to do Bamboo backed and trilams for sure. Going to attempt glass with both a “Hill” style and potentially FHLB.

This is not a dream shop so everything needs to be budget friendly. I know a good 12-14” bandsaw is almost a must have but I’m being given a small tabletop one free so it’s a start.

Thanks Cody.


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[skeaterbait]

Don't go less than 14" on your bandsaw and if you plan to make your own lams and veneers a 17" will make you much happier. Get a good drum sander, it doesn't have to be huge but make sure it's of a quality to provide the accuracy you need. But again, the drum sander is less important if you plan to buy your lams/veneers and not make them. Past that I have seen many posts of some fantastic bows done with all hand tools, bearing in mind they were people with patience that far surpasses mine.

[Roy from Pa]

GOOD bandsaw.

Decent belt sander.

But above all, good dust collection system is a must.

Good lighting.

Plenty of receptacles.

[Forwardhandle]

I think Skeats hit it right on I have a small shop to and I crammed it with big tools and it's a pain to move every thing to get to a tool some times more work setting up then actually doing the work, but you cant beat a good band saw really the heart of my shop , if your going to do bamboo bows a jointer is a handy tool to ,but really if your skipping making lams you can do pretty much every thing with hand tools , there is really some quality power hand tools out now too !

[Roy from Pa]

I'd skip the jointer.

I sold mine.

They are dangerous and don't serve much purpose.

My drum sander took the place of the jointer.

You need a good solid sturdy workbench.

Place it so you can work all the way around it and anchor it to the floor!

Mount a vice on one corner.

A vice mounted on a pipe in the center of the shop is a nice thing too.

[Forwardhandle]

To organised for my liking Roy here is my hill billy cramped every space including rafters used ,less 2 cars normaly parked inside believe it or not I cranked out dozens of bows,cabinets,counter tops ,spindles & furniture out of it effecently but if you over cram its hard to stay organized !

 

[Roy from Pa]

Hey as long as yer happy:)

 

[Fishinglink]

So I have a 24x36 pole barn that is going to house my stuff. It is a shared space for my hobbies, yard tools, and camping gear. The original owner had 100 amp service run to the barn with a 24 spot squareD box. It currently has 5 outlets, 2 light switches, overhead door and zero lights. This spring it will be getting spray foam and 6-8 8’ light fixtures installed.

Have seen some good floor stand belt sanders in $150-200 on Craigslist and a repo auction site.
Not planning on making lams and veneers at this point. Kenny seems reasonably priced and I love his quality. Will probably save me money on the learning curve.

Any quick specs for the hot box?

My workbench is 8’x30” with 1 1/8” thick top that just needs to be secured to the floor and have a couple more braces in the corners for stability. Also have a table that will be a “clean” space used only for glue ups and layouts.

Any particular hand tools I should get?

Tools I have a palm sander, some rasps and files, cabinet scraper (best investment I made for tillering my selfbow), 1”x42” belt sander.


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[Roy from Pa]

I suggest 8 foot LED tube lights, bright and use a lot less energy.

Hot box, 6' x 2' x 2', plywood then insulated with 1 inch thick foam and leave the shiny foil coated side facing inward.

Sockets for 4, 100 watt bulbs or hotter.

And a tillering tree..

No that's not me pulling the rope...

[Eric Krewson]

How much shop area do you have to work with? I made about 50 bows in a 5X7 corner of my garage by the water heater. I had a heavy workbench with a vise and a tillering tree on the wall. I had a bandsaw, table top belt sander and jointer that I moved out under a tree in the yard to use.

My first requirement when I moved to my new house was to build a proper shop, 14X28 with plenty of room for all my toys. It has heat and air, plenty of lights and a 2hp Griz dust collector.

I have a new student coming to the shop this morning to learn bow making.

[fujimo]

you have had some top guys answer  already, and if i may, i will throw in my 2c worth as well.
 agreed with all the above- good bandsaw- or at least your first upgrade. and learn to tune it well.
a drum sander is a huge asset, but not a necessity at least initially.
as for jointers, i have to agree with Roy, not based on personal experience, but rather from my good friend Bert Frelink ( quartermoon bows out of alberta) whos bow shooting career almost came to an abrupt end when he mangled his fingers , trying to thin some boo on his jointer- a job he had done a thousand times, i dont think he could shoot for at least a year.

you can upgrade a 14" bandsaw and put a bigger motor on it, thats the kicker with trying to saw all these hardwoods we use- its usually not so much a space issue , but rather a power issue.
i have a 14" and a 16" in my bow shop, the 14 is std and has a narrow blade for more intricate work, my 16 has a 1 and 3/8"  ripping blade on it with a 7/8" tooth pitch and has been upgraded to a 5hp motor
(i am a lover of bandsaws, my other 2 are in my other shop, a 24" and a 36" with 15hp motors)
i really want a nice big edge sander- but havent found the right machine at the right price yet, so i took a table top bench sander( 4x36), put it on its side, upgraded the motor, built a bracket and a table for it- and it works really well- cant lug it down. its awesome for doing the sides of the glass bows- not as nice as a good big edge sander- but its way better than hand filing, like i did for the longest time.
 I took my cheap spindle sander and with minimal expense, i made it into a pattern sander.
i think for glass bows, that was my best investment. shaping risers , and getting the flares just right, takes a lot of time and care- with my templates i can do a riser in a few minutes, literally, and its perfect. and i can still use it as a spindle sander to shape the handle area

we all have built bows with only hand tools, and it works just fine, just takes longer, but sure gives you an understanding and a true feel for what you are doing.

and i have to agree, good dust collection is a must, IMO the Clearvue cyclones are the best, they have been tested and work the best, they offer finished units, kits or plans, and build your own.

for self bows, i still only use hand tools though, files, rasps, cabinet scrapers , spokeshaves etc

good luck, and keep us posted

[kennym]

Bandsaw first, then edge sander or modify one like fugimo did.

The grizzly 14" is a great saw. The one I had was the top of line with the light and cast iron wheels(thought it would be more balanced for fine cutting) Worked great but I thought I needed to upgrade or would prob still be using it.  Get on their newsletter , they have sales sometimes if you aint in a hurry.

[Fishinglink]

Thanks for all the replies. Not in a big hurry since an unheated barn in Michigan is gonna be brutal these next few months. Hoping to get up and running in time for the bow swap. Got our big expo in January so I can get smooth on and bamboo without extravagant shipping costs. Gonna hit up woodcraft and watch for a good slab of osage. Got a lumber mill that has as much hickory as I want. $40 for a 8’ log 1/4 sawn and ready to go. My brother has a 14” bandsaw that I can use to rip everything down and he is the one giving me his old saw. Thanks for the ideas. The dust collection maybe last on the list due to costs and I can open the door and wheel tools outside.


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[Forwardhandle]

All I had for years was a 14 in. Rigid band saw I just hooked my shop vac to it got by no problem tell I got a dust collection system !

[kennym]

Bandsaw doesn’t make tons of dust . Shop vac will handle easily. Table saw is the worst imo

[Roy from Pa]

Yup.

[Shredd]

  It takes a good bit of tools to make a bow...  They are not all used to make the bow directly but are used to make jigs and such to make a bow...  As for tools one of your first concerns should be accuracy...  This is an exact craft...  Get tools of good quality and will be accurate... 

  As most said 14" Bandsaw is a must...  My experience is that double trunnions hold the table tight and accurate...  Get one with a 1hp or more...  If it is a quality saw at a good price you can always change out the motor...
  If you have the cash and room a 10" bandsaw with a decent size motor is great for cutting out the riser and keeps you from changing blades on one saw...  Do not get a 9" saw...  I believe most or all of them have no balls...  I have a Craftsman 10" saw and I love it...  But I don't think that they are making them any more...

   A 4x36 sander with 40 grit and a strong motor on its side is great (and is my choice) for rough shaping....  Belts are cheap and you can find them anywhere...  A 6x48 sander with a strong motor on its side with a solid base or table next to it set at 90 degrees is great for truing up a block of wood, can also be used for rough shaping and with the drive drum sanded or machined flat can also be used as a thickness sander for laminates...  I have both sanders and use them for different purposes...

   A thickness sander would be great...  But with the aid of a jig your 6x48 sander can handle sanding laminates...

   A drill press is a must...  You need it to drill holes accurately to make jigs, forms and such...  You can also make a nice size 6" to 9" drum and use it as a drum sander for sanding your fades on the riser...

   12" disc sander....

   A rechargeable angle drill with a 5"-6" foam sanding pad to use as an angle grinder works well...

  Table saw...

   Nice big work table...  36" is a nice width or if you can use all sides make it 48" or wider...

   I do all my dirty work outside...  If you are inside a dust system is a must...

   These are the basics and most of your bigger tools needed... 

   There's my 2cents....   Good Luck...  Keep us posted...

[mlsthmpsn]

Bandsaw doesn’t make tons of dust . Shop vac will handle easily. Table saw is the worst imo

Run a 25" dual drum sander without the dust collection hooked up....I'll never do that again, still sweeping up dust from that!

[Wolftrail]

Do you actually have a building shop..?  If I was building a small shop it would be long and narrow to accommodate a 12-14 foot bench  with the cutoff saw somewhere in the middle, a vice and overhead lights. [Besides a good dust collection system I would have a large fan mounted high up on the wall to exhaust all the loose dust flying around.] Wood racks going up to the ceiling takes less space.  Bandsaw and stuff can be on casters.

[Mike L.]

I lost the tip of my finger to a jointer.  I wish I had a good drum sander instead.  I made the one for grinding lams, but can’t seem to get the drum parallel after tightening the nut.

I have the oscillating spindle/belt sander by rigid I use a lot, and I have a larger oscillating one that I can supposedly take a belt off inside to make it stop oscillating.  The band saw is critical, and the sanders help a ton. 

I tried starting out years ago with an old craftsman bandsaw I bought at a yard sale, but couldn’t seem to use a radius jig to make an accent strip.  A buddy finally told me why, and it’s because it didn’t have bearing guides.  6-7 hundred for the 14” shop fox.  It’s the one tool I use more than anything, and I can even run it after the ol lady goes to bed.  (Shop is under the bedroom, unfortunately). 


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