What part do you hate/like the most in building a bow?

[Al Dean]

My favorite and least favorite is shaping the grip.  I don't have a set pattern but just shape and sand and feel and look and sand and so on until I get it just right, but I never know when that will be until finished.

[Walt Francis]

Troy,

When you going to open the finish shop?    

[critman]

I will give an "AMEN" to what canopyboy said x2! Heard that again not 5 minutes ago......I love you dear.

[carpin'mark]

My favorite part is shaping the riser and tips where you just get lost in it. The most tedious part is lining up the limbs and riser on a 3pc recurve, checking, double checking, triple checking, then double checking my triple check. Always a bit nervous when I have that drill press handle in my hand and ready to start blowing holes in it, the point of no return.

[Zradix]

I despise shaping the handle to fit the curves on a bbo r/d type bow. ...Ben showed me a way around that which I'm forever thankful for.
..course this part makes me cringe a bit too...



Favorite part...? hhmm  Love shooting after I get the grip roughed in and I can feel the bow is well tuned for the 1st time.

Honestly...my favorite part may well be the planning.. ie..which type of woods...what thickness and taper..how to set up the jig..what type of stain..practicing the stain technique..etc.

[Bjorn]

Most if not all of the process is enjoyable from start to end. Picking out the stave, I like the early tillering-I do that with my bandsaw and it usually goes well and is fun to do. The tillering with scrapers and rasps, and that spoke shave thing, that can go on for days and weeks, that's OK too but sometimes becomes a bit tedious. My fav is the satisfaction of hitting weight and shooting.

[Bodork]

I hate paying for materials! When I started building several years ago I could easily build one for about $125.00. Glass was 8 bucks a strip. Now I can easily invest over $200 per bow. More than that if I get real fancy.

[critman]

Finished up a bow for me today. Getting out and lettin' arrows fly is also definitely at the top of the like list. Aw heck, it's all on the top of the like list!

[karrow]

i dislike string grooves. because i suck at it.

favorite part is bow layout

[George Tsoukalas]

My least favorite part is coaxing out the last inch of draw. My most favorite is fina sanding and "fussing". Jawge

[Eric Krewson]

My least favorite part is missing poundage when a limb is stiff, doesn't move with repeated scraping then goes limp unexpectedly the next time you flex it. Started new bows for people a bunch of times because of this happening.

[JamesV]

I hate maintance, cleaning the shop, changing saw blades, planer blades, sand paper and building strings. I really like building forms for a new design. building risers, cutting and tapering lams and the actual assembly of the bow. I hate waiting for the bow to cure in the hot box. I shape the limbs, string the bow and check the tiller before I ever index the bow. The best part is to feel the bow come alive during the first shot.

[Swissbow]

The most favorite part is shaping the riser and fling the first arrows with a new bow. I don't like to sand the tips until I' m happy with it. And the worst of all is building arrows, I hate it.
__________
Andy

[rmorris]

Not a fan of choosing what wood combinations will go with each other , but the part I like best is making jigs to make things go faster .

[critman]

Ralph, I get caught up making jigs as I do a bow also! I love making stuff, especially things to make bow building easier and more fun with each one I build. Got a bocote kennym bow on my mind now.

[rockkiller]

I REALLY hate blending in overlays to the limb.   :mad:  Someday I hope to improve to really,really,really suck at it.

[fujimo]

i hate the bow breaking bit at the end!   :D

[Sam Harper]

It depends on the kind of bow I'm making.  If it's a fiberglass bow, my favourite part is taking the masking tape off after glue up and roughing out.  I like seeing how the wood looks under the glass for the first time.

My least favourite part is glue up.  It always stresses me out a little.

For a self-bow, I like the whole thing.  I guess the thing I like the lease is cutting the nocks.  My favourite part is tillering it.

For a bamboo backed bow or other type of composite bow, I guess my least favourite part is flattening the bamboo, and my favourite part is dying it, or if I don't dye it, then my favourite part is tillering it.

[Bowjunkie]

See... I love all that stuff, even the stuff you guys hate.

[rockkiller]

Originally posted by Bowjunkie:
See... I love all that stuff, even the stuff you guys hate.

Maybe hate is the wrong word???    Maybe in my case it should be worded.......what do you really,really,really,really suck at