Time it takes to make a bow

[Eric Garza]

Inspired by a conversation on the trade blanket, I'm curious how long it typically takes folks to make a bow? As folks offer their estimates, it would be great if you'd qualify them with whether or not you use power tools (bandsaws, for instance) or just hand tools, and whether you start with a seasoned stave or a live tree (meaning the time estimate includes the time involved in felling the tree, splitting and roughing the stave, caring for it while it dries and seasons, etc.)

Myself, I'd guess I invest 30-40 hours in each bow that I make. I do not use any power tools; I use a pull-cut saw to cut small trees, wedges and an old hatchet head to split staves, a hatchet for rough work, a draw knife and farrier's rasp for moderately coarse work, and a cabinet scraper for fine work and finishing. I usually don't back my bows anymore, so this estimate does not include any sort of backing.

[JW_Halverson]

I can finish a simple bend in the handle D bow in as little as 12 hours.  Narrow/stiff handled bows with fades/etc...30+ is about right.

[Badger]

   Eric, if you are counting cutting and splittiing the staves I would say you are pretty fast. Most of the time I don't use power tools, sometimes I run across one that tends to rear out and rip and in that case I might rough it out on the bandsaw. I buy all my staves so I don't have that time invested. I will usually spend the first day maybe 4 hours chasing a ring and shaping the bow to floor tiller. I come back in the morning for finish tiller and If I decide to do finish work. I would say if I go all out about 12 hours.

[High-Desert]

Not counting then time involved in finding the tree, applying for a permit, cutting and splitting, just from seasoned stave to bow. But 15-30 is normal, including all the variables: tip overlays or not, recurves, type of grip etc. This is all assuming a nice straight, knot free stave. Sinew backing.....that's a whole other story.
I'm curious how long most people spend stripping out sinew for the "average" sinew backed bow. It takes me a good 8-10 hours just to do that.....maybe more.

Eric

[Jim Davis]

Guess I'm the odd one out here. I figure it takes me no more than an hour to drop a tree and get at least four staves out of it. So that's 15 minutes per stave.

Since I get up a bunch of staves at once, it might take me a minute to paint the ends of one and less to spray bug killer if I don't peal the bark (usually don't with Osage). If I peel the bark, that's another five to 10 minutes.

I cut nearly to final dimensions with a band saw, fine tune with a rasp, cut nocks with a nock rasp I made, finish tiller with a scraper and belt sander.

All together, I think I have from three to four hours in a bow when It's ready to put the lacquer to it.

[SLIMBOB]

I'm (almost) never in a hurry with one.  The 3 to 4 hours Jim stated is a WOW for me.  I measure in weeks.  Few hours here and there.  Set it aside and pick up another until I'm ready to tackle it again.  I figure all total 10-20 hours from stave to bow, and that's just a guess.

[Msturm]

I cut the tree with a small hand saw. pack it out. peel it split it. drive around with it in my car for 6-8 months to dry. Do my roughing out with a machete, all of that is pretty quick. It takes about 3 or 4 hours, not counting the dry time.

I use the heavy side of the rasp to get to floor tiller and the fine side to get to brace. After its braced its really slow. three to five scrapes at a time and take a look.

Grand total  including the 30 minutes to make a string probably like 40 + hours...


Msturm

[osage outlaw]

I'll have 3 to 4 hours just in the sanding and finish work.  If I'm going to make a bow, or anything for that matter, I'm taking my time and putting all of my efforts into it. 

[bradsmith2010]

it varyies fron bow to bow,, If I had to make one fast I could,, but I usually am working a little at a time when my schedule allows, so have no idea how many hours I have in a bow,,, I try not to work on one when I am tired,, I have been working on one now for several months,,but can make one in a day if need be,,,starting from a stave,, but I dont like working that fast,, I am usually working on several bows at a time,, maybe 5,, so that is hard to keep track of,, I will rough out the stave with a band saw if available, but like using hatchet and draw knife too,, ok,,  sorry for the vague time frame,, but thats how I do it now,,

[---GUTSHOT--->]

I would hate to know how many hrs I put into a bow. I only use a chainsaw to cut the tree from then on out nothing but blood sweat and tears with hand tools. I would say 40+ for me.  I'm slow very slow I mean turtle slow! But I have fun doing it and the end result of getting to shoot it means I have already forgot about all the hrs I put into it.

[Dances with squirrels]

Like Osage Outlaw, if I invest myself in a bow, I go all the way. I have about 6-8 hours in final sanding, dying, finishing, string, handle wrap, silencers, etc.

I've actually kept track of my time, both with selfbows and glass/wood lam bows and they're both about 20-25 hours if everything goes well... although the most stubborn and involved builds were easily double that. Heck, I can have over 10  hours just in catching, butchering, skinning, and tanning leather for a grip. All depends. Time only matters if you'd rather be someplace else.

[High-Desert]

Im sure i could nock one out in 4-5, but the rest is the actual finishing, working through every last grit of sandpaper. The art work that is involved makes up most of the time. Like Dances with squirrels said, just for the grip material, theres lots of time involved. I shot the elk two years ago, it spent 10 months in a bark bath.....does this time count too. If it does, it cost someone to buy a bow from me about 40 cents an hour of my time.

Eric

[Pat B]

I'd say 20 to 40 for me.

[wizardgoat]

Not counting the time I spend looking, cutting, and seasoning staves, I can make a simple flat or longbow in 6-8 hours.  Recurves, heat bending,  tip overlays, skins, finish and grip can add a lot of time.  One of those takes me probably 15-20 hours. I use only hand tools, but I use mainly yew which is pretty easy to work. I also work on 5 or 6 at once

[Bryce]

Start to shooting 4 hours on a bow that doesn't have recurves or flaws that need correcting. And That doesn't include heat treating.
It's the finish work that seems to take forever

So hmm so 4 hours at the least and max I think 16 or so hours, not counting finish dry times