need some help to design a "budget" bow

[arachnid]

Hi guys.
A friend is opening an archery club and asked me to build him 15 bows.
He`s on a tight budget and I want to help him (and he wants to help me make some $$ to ). So I thought I`ll try making a hybrid/semi-recurve bow with no deflex- straight with reflexed tips, 62" long. Something like this:
https://www.google.co.il/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjN4NWb1ZXfAhVHQRoKHf4NCZUQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchery.ixpesports.nl%2Fcontents%2Fnl%2Fp21993.html&psig=AOvVaw2js3LTGpvH0kRqRxracXZE&ust=1544545144824193

A few Questions:
1) Any known issues with a design like this?
2) Anything I need to take into consideration when building it?
3) How much reflex should I give it? And how many inches from the tip should I start the reflex curve?

Any other advice whould be more then welcome.
Dor

[garyschuler]

I would Strongly consider getting Liability Insurance on yourself or Business before you let anyone touch of your bows. Reasons in today's World are obvious.

[KenH]

I haven't any idea about liability issues in Israel, although it's something to think about.  I'm attaching a PDF of an oldie but a goodie -- a build-along for a simple forward handle recurve bow with a simple non-airhose building jig, easily adjustable for various draw weights.

Vintage recurve-bow-plans.pdf

[fujimo]

for me, and others may differ, but what takes me the longest is all the nock overlays and riser overlay finish sanding.
my recipe for a budget bow might be plain maple  or walnut lams, coloured glass, one block riser, b50 string  so that i could eliminate fancy nock overlays, no riser overlay. pre-stretched continuous loop string, so one is not worried about extra twists to get the brace height just right. keep it simple.

i might even consider a design that has lots of side taper , and no taper in the lams. with parallel lams it would be easy to grind the parallels without a sled- so no need for scarf joints.

 I think a design that likes a higher brace height may be a good thing too- a good wrist slapping   may end a neophytes archery career right there!!

i dont know how much the appearance of the design will effect the budget. i would choose a design that was maybe a bit longer, and more forgiving, and possibly with some string follow.
you are after all trying to convince folks that archery is fun and easy- they dont need a bow with a heck of a lot of zip  and that is unforgiving.
a nice stable, forgiving bow to shoot, no finger pinch, and possibly ambidextrous, so any permutation of user base can be accommodated.
names on a bow- may help folk remember the bow they were shooting the previous time.

quickest easiest bow i ever built was a bend thru the handle glass ELB

[Roy from Pa]

I would think long and hard about making 15 bows!

It might be fun with the first couple, but making 15 could drag you down hill.

For the price that is listed in your link for a bow, you would be hard pressed to match that.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[kennym]

Hard to compete with a bow costing 78 bucks....

[Flem]

Have you estimated your material costs and labor? I think I would look at that part of my budget first, then streamline the design and eliminate as many steps as you can.

[Crooked Stic]

Let your customer buy the materials and maybe incorporate  the 15 bows in with his business. That way he can see whats really invoived and put the liability on him. If not at least get an LLC. for your company. Glass for one bow is gonna be about 30 bucks. Buy the time you do all the lams and buy glue and electric etc.

[KenH]

Crooked Stic --  gotta remember that the OP is in Israel, not here in the US.  I don't think they have LLCs and liability issues the way that us overly-litiginous Americans do. 

The same with currency.  He may be stating things in US dollars, but $1 is worth nearly 4 Israeli sheqels.

Having the customer buy some, or all of the materials isn't a bad idea though...

[arachnid]

Thanks for all the advice guys. If it wasn't a profitable  opportunity for I wouldn't have thought of that. One thing I didn't take into consideration is what Roy said about making so many.... I'll have to think about it some more.

[Roy from Pa]

Trust me here, I played that game..

" ONE TIME "

Never again.

15 bows are a lot of bows to make.

And if a couple of them don't pan out, then you need to make 2 more.

[Holm-Made]

A 62” bow with no deflex and just reflex would not be a good choice, in my opinion.  It would not accommodate a very long draw.  The bow pictured in your link has deflex.

[arachnid]

And if I make it 64 or 66 inches long?

[Buemaker]

Why not just make it straight, easy to make a form and shoots just fine?

[arachnid]

I thought of that but I don't like the looks of it. Plus, I'll have to make it longer (68-70") and my heatbox is not long enough.....
I can make a straight 62" bow but I'm afraid it'll stack....

[YosemiteSam]

I guess it just all depends how much time you all have on your hands.  Labor is always the most expensive part of production.  I say mail-order some cheap recurves & call it a day.

[Shredd]

Don't listen to these Negative Nellies...  If there is $$ involved and you think you are gonna make a good profit, Go for it...   15 is a lot so tell him that you will do batches of 5 at a time and you will see how it goes...  Get your deposit for 5 bows, make 5 and see how it goes...  If it goes well make 5 more...  If not tell him he needs to go somewhere else...  You have made bows...  Don't you have a proven design???  Go with what is already working for you...  Why change your design???

    There is nothing better than making money at something you love to do... That is the essence of life...

[fujimo]

i have to say i agree with Shredd, it takes all types to make the world go around, some folks will want to make bows and sell them, and some wont- most folk do a lot of things a lot better than me, but if someone asked me to make some bows- i would be all over that like a fat kid on a smartie!!

[YosemiteSam]

Are these for sale?  I thought they were just for club use.

[arachnid]

Thanks for the encouragement guys.
Shredd, I offered him my design but he wants a cheaper bow. My design is more time consuming.  That's why I'm looking for something I can make quicker. Plus, I don't mind having another design I can offer at a lower price. Some people already asked me if I have a cheaper bow for beginners 'cause they want to spend a lot at the beginning.