Day 1 of DIY Bow Shop Build

[Aaronpaul14]

I get the unfinished basement and my wife gets the rest of the house. I am perfectly fine with that arrangement. Now, I just need to locate an 8’ piece of telephone pole or log down there to hang from to stay in saddle shape year round.

We just bought a house and there is a sweet attic space that I’m going to finish/fix up as my man room(when the rest of the house is finished.) We are getting ready to cut a big tree down there too and I was just measuring to see how tall I had to install part of the tree as a saddle hanging spot. I’m thinking two on either side of the room lol

 

[Flee]

This must be contagious like the Rona. I just cleaned out my mess behind the furnace. I built a bench with all the scraps I had. It’s only 5 foot by a 20” bench but some shelves and pegboard and soon to be ez press and a diy draw board and I’m set. It’ll be my amsteel tinkering place too. I’ll get some pics when it’s ready. I’ve been watching YouTube for home shop ideas. Any tips on things that you’ve tried and aren’t worth it or would do differently?

 

[MathewsMan7]

This must be contagious like the Rona. I just cleaned out my mess behind the furnace. I built a bench with all the scraps I had. It’s only 5 foot by a 20” bench but some shelves and pegboard and soon to be ez press and a diy draw board and I’m set. It’ll be my amsteel tinkering place too. I’ll get some pics when it’s ready. I’ve been watching YouTube for home shop ideas. Any tips on things that you’ve tried and aren’t worth it or would do differently?

1) Very glad I put carpet on my bench top, just go ahead and do it, you’ll thank me later
2) wish I would have put my bench at 32 ish inches and not 40...once you put a press and vise in, working on some of the things on the bow would be a little easier if the bench top wasn’t so high...it’s perfect for arrow building and just working on stuff in general, but If I had to do it again I’d drop it down about 6 or 7 inches
3) LIGHTS...tying serving, changing out peeps, swapping out cams, modules, etc. is so much easier with good light. Sounds silly, but the few bows I’ve worked on for buddies, I’m very glad I put in good lights
4) buy a cheap magnet tray from Menards to put on your press once it’s installed so you can put the essentials (lighter, razor blade, etc.) in there and not on a shelf somewhere so you don’t have to go digging when you’re in the middle of doing something on a bow
5) The EZ green press is sweet and will do everything you need it to

that’s all I’ve got so far. Good luck on your build. Share pics when you’re done!

 

[Squirrels]

1) Very glad I put carpet on my bench top, just go ahead and do it, you’ll thank me later
2) wish I would have put my bench at 32 ish inches and not 40...once you put a press and vise in, working on some of the things on the bow would be a little easier if the bench top wasn’t so high...it’s perfect for arrow building and just working on stuff in general, but If I had to do it again I’d drop it down about 6 or 7 inches
3) LIGHTS...tying serving, changing out peeps, swapping out cams, modules, etc. is so much easier with good light. Sounds silly, but the few bows I’ve worked on for buddies, I’m very glad I put in good lights
4) buy a cheap magnet tray from Menards to put on your press once it’s installed so you can put the essentials (lighter, razor blade, etc.) in there and not on a shelf somewhere so you don’t have to go digging when you’re in the middle of doing something on a bow
5) The EZ green press is sweet and will do everything you need it to

that’s all I’ve got so far. Good luck on your build. Share pics when you’re done!

Thanks for the tip on the height. I've been debating if I will do carpet on mine and had just about convinced myself, you sealed that one for me.
If you have not already gotten a hand wheel for you green I would highly, highly recommend doing so. There are options, you can get one from LCA $65, Archery Dezigns $60, guy on Facebook selling some for like $46. The nicest wheel is from Archery Dezigns, it's 7" and has a folding handle with it. I ended up buying that exact wheel and handle from a tool supplier for $41. All I had to do was tap it, no big deal.

 

[MathewsMan7]

Thanks for the tip on the height. I've been debating if I will do carpet on mine and had just about convinced myself, you sealed that one for me.
If you have not already gotten a hand wheel for you green I would highly, highly recommend doing so. There are options, you can get one from LCA $65, Archery Dezigns $60, guy on Facebook selling some for like $46. The nicest wheel is from Archery Dezigns, it's 7" and has a folding handle with it. I ended up buying that exact wheel and handle from a tool supplier for $41. All I had to do was tap it, no big deal.

I’ve looked at getting a wheel, just haven’t pulled the trigger. I like $41 a lot more than $65.

 

[melocal]

Waiting on my draw board to arrive. This is the temporary home for my stuff. It will get a permanent bench of its own.View attachment 27093

@Squirrels, how do you like the bow vice? I got a portable press for the moment, thought I would be able to just go with a homemade type rest for the bow while I was working on it. But that kinda sucks. Thinking about a Baker(?) vice, just sold enough gear to fund $$ one. I see you went with the riser and tool trey, also worth it?

 

[Squirrels]

@Squirrels, how do you like the bow vice? I got a portable press for the moment, thought I would be able to just go with a homemade type rest for the bow while I was working on it. But that kinda sucks. Thinking about a Baker(?) vice, just sold enough gear to fund $$ one. I see you went with the riser and tool trey, also worth it?

I am 1000000% satisfied with the BAP vise. Thing that drew me to it over a limb style vise is I can use it for all kinds of other things which helps ME justify spending so much on a vise. As far as the riser and tool trey goes: I like the riser to get the height up. It puts the clamps of the vise about the same height as my press. If I didn't have the riser I would be hunched over often working on stuff. So I would say get the riser. The tray was sort of free. I wanted the micro adjust plate (hightly recommend) and the riser. It was the same price to buy the complete kit as it was to buy the vise, riser, and micro plate as individual pieces. The kits comes with all three of the afformentioned items and the trey so it was basically free. Just get the kit, it's a buy once cry once kind of thing and you just bite the bullet at one time and be done. I don't think you would be disappointed in your choice. I had buyers remorse after I hit submit, simply for the cost, that faded the instant I opened the box and mounted it.