After owning several custom longbows, I have decided I want to build my own. I have shop that I am going to convert to wood working. Been doing race car type fabwork for years.
Just burnt out. Years ago I did work for a cabinet and custom furniture maker and loved it. Wood has soul and I love that aspect of custom bows.

What pieces of equipment are a must have?
A good bandsaw, spindle sander etc?

I will keep my mills and lathes from my fab shop so I can make some of my own stuff like lam sanders, some profile sander forms etc.

What would be your short list of must have equipment?

Thanks in advance!
Ken from way down in the holler...

Welcome from a fellow Hillbilly

What type or style of bow do you plan on making?

Edge sander and a thickness sander
Welcome from North Mississippi

Quote from: Flem on October 18, 2021, 09:09:45 AM
Welcome from a fellow Hillbilly

What type or style of bow do you plan on making?

Where did you live Flem?

Table saw, bandsaw, edge and spindle sander . Maybe a disc sander

Welcome from MO !

Quote from: Flem on October 18, 2021, 09:09:45 AM
Welcome from a fellow Hillbilly

What type or style of bow do you plan on making?

Primarily one piece hybrid style longbows and 3 piece takedown.

When you guys say thickness sander, are you talking about a rig for sanding lams or something more commercial made like a drum sander that could accommodate wider pieces?

My other hobby appears to be collecting tools and equipment,  so I see this going many ways. I just have to be smart about floor space.

It's like a Planer but has a sanding roller

Quote from: Mad Max on October 18, 2021, 09:48:09 AM
It's like a Planer but has a sanding roller

Gotcha, what I call a drum sander. My terminologies are probably off. Been out of the wood working scene for a long time.

It sands thickness

Quote from: Mad Max on October 18, 2021, 09:16:55 AM

Quote from: Flem on October 18, 2021, 09:09:45 AM
Welcome from a fellow Hillbilly

What type or style of bow do you plan on making?

Where did you live Flem?

Montucky is what some folks call it. Although I have always though that was an insult to Kentucky.

Yeah if you are building glass backed bows and grinding lams, a thickness sander is invaluable. Also easy and inexpensive to make. The best ones have belts rather than drums, but thats beyond my capabilities as a Hillbilly engineer.

If you only buy one saw to start, make it a Bandsaw. That and a sander will take you deep into the process.

Bandsaw will probably be first. I can make a spindle arbor for my stationary drill press, and an oscillating spindle sander is not a huge expense. I have a belt sander already that will work interim.

Any must have bandsaw options or size? Minimum depth etc that one should have?

I do want a floor model and not a bench model.

Table saw, bandsaw and good edge grinder with sleds. That works for me. JF

Just a couple tools

What belt sander is that? I like that flat table!

It's a Grizzly. I made the table and squared and trued it up. Doe everything I want. Big drum for grinding laminations and the middle of the rubber end for grinding the fadeouts. Everything is square and parallel. It takes a little figuring out. But it's Sweet. JF

Laminate on a sled

Quote from: Jeff Freeman on October 18, 2021, 09:01:39 PM
Laminate on a sled

Jeff,

How do you handle the lam/sled combo and keep them together going through?


Mark

By hand and the pressure of the belt against the laminate. I use to have a roller spring set up but it was a pain in the ass. JF

Quote from: Appalachian Hillbilly on October 18, 2021, 06:49:32 PM
Bandsaw will probably be first. I can make a spindle arbor for my stationary drill press, and an oscillating spindle sander is not a huge expense. I have a belt sander already that will work interim.

Any must have bandsaw options or size? Minimum depth etc that one should have?

I do want a floor model and not a bench model.

My opinion, nothing less than 14", but if I could do it again I would get a 17" as I do more than just bowmaking. I am quite happy with my Grizzly.

Thanks for all the replies! I have a Grizzly mill that I  happy with. Looking at their Bandsaws.
Probably do one of their bandsaw, the edge sander and one of their drum sanders.

Do any of you use the drum sanders with the driven feed belt ?