Building a bow press
#12
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southeast Central Illinois USA
Posts: 6,969
RE: Building a bow press
Thats a great looking press he sells Greg. Might be better off investing in that. Have to make out a material list and see what the cost is of doing it myself.
#13
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 18
RE: Building a bow press
Well, I have a little experience in this department because I just built my own press this weekend. For a great set of plans follow this link -
http://www.theoxfordgroup.com/bow-press.pdf
The plans tell you how to do everything and how you can customize it to get an x-press fit if you like. I customized mine for my Tribute and it works like a charm. Have pressed 4 different bows and it performed flawlessly. An x-press will set you back about $500. Total cost for materials was $70 for my press. I would do it again in a heartbeat. However, if you do not have all the tools and equipment to do the work and/or you do not enjoy this type of project you will be better off buying one. It took me almost 12 hours from start to finish and that did not include the time involved in getting the materials. If you fall into this catergory then I recommend buying a hydrapress from this website -
http://www.hydra-press.com/index.html
Cost is $170 delivered. I don't know how he sells it for this price. I wouldn't build and sell them for that. The plans above are for the hydrapress. Buy it or build it - a great press!
http://www.theoxfordgroup.com/bow-press.pdf
The plans tell you how to do everything and how you can customize it to get an x-press fit if you like. I customized mine for my Tribute and it works like a charm. Have pressed 4 different bows and it performed flawlessly. An x-press will set you back about $500. Total cost for materials was $70 for my press. I would do it again in a heartbeat. However, if you do not have all the tools and equipment to do the work and/or you do not enjoy this type of project you will be better off buying one. It took me almost 12 hours from start to finish and that did not include the time involved in getting the materials. If you fall into this catergory then I recommend buying a hydrapress from this website -
http://www.hydra-press.com/index.html
Cost is $170 delivered. I don't know how he sells it for this price. I wouldn't build and sell them for that. The plans above are for the hydrapress. Buy it or build it - a great press!
#14
RE: Building a bow press
I'm not arguing with you a bit, viper...
But here's my reasoning: You say it took 12 hours to build this; let's just be on the low side and say someone's time is only worth $10/hr. That's $120 right there, plus the $70... now we're up to $190...
I know some people love to spend their time on projectslike this, and -- like I started off by saying -- I wouldn't argue that at all. I've just learned that by the time I do it myself I could have just bought the darn thing.
But here's my reasoning: You say it took 12 hours to build this; let's just be on the low side and say someone's time is only worth $10/hr. That's $120 right there, plus the $70... now we're up to $190...
I know some people love to spend their time on projectslike this, and -- like I started off by saying -- I wouldn't argue that at all. I've just learned that by the time I do it myself I could have just bought the darn thing.
#15
RE: Building a bow press
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
I'm not arguing with you a bit, viper...
But here's my reasoning: You say it took 12 hours to build this; let's just be on the low side and say someone's time is only worth $10/hr. That's $120 right there, plus the $70... now we're up to $190...
I know some people love to spend their time on projectslike this, and -- like I started off by saying -- I wouldn't argue that at all. I've just learned that by the time I do it myself I could have just bought the darn thing.
I'm not arguing with you a bit, viper...
But here's my reasoning: You say it took 12 hours to build this; let's just be on the low side and say someone's time is only worth $10/hr. That's $120 right there, plus the $70... now we're up to $190...
I know some people love to spend their time on projectslike this, and -- like I started off by saying -- I wouldn't argue that at all. I've just learned that by the time I do it myself I could have just bought the darn thing.
plus he's an entrepeneur small business guy, trying to make it by offering a well made product at a good price, and i'm all for that.
#18
RE: Building a bow press
I know some people love to spend their time on projectslike this, and -- like I started off by saying -- I wouldn't argue that at all. I've just learned that by the time I do it myself I could have just bought the darn thing.
#19
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 18
RE: Building a bow press
Wow! Apparently some folks don't read the whole post or don't understand the english language. Go back and read the post and you will find that I was praising the hydrapress and called it a bargain at $170. However, I wanted to build my own and modify the design to my bow's specifications. I have the tools and ability to undertake a project like this and I enjoy these type of projects. Last time I checked, there were at least 3 different websites selling this type of press, so I'm pretty sure that there are no patent issues.
#20
RE: Building a bow press
I don't think anyone mis-understood you, viper...
The tangent we went off on had more to do with the fact several of us (at least I have) have undertaken projects like this and ended up investing more time and energy than was worth it considering factoring in an hourly labor rate for our time -- when it was all said and done, we could have just bought a manufactured model cheaper.
And I was trying to make it clear; perhaps the message didn't come through: Some people absolutely love tinkering around on their own projects and happily investing their time on something of this sort of scope... and I do too sometimes. But from strictly a cost perspective, it's often times cheaper just to buy it -- and I think that's kinda what Coug (the original poster) was trying to figure out.
And we agree -- either the Hydrapress at $170 or the Toad press at $185 (I think that's what he gets for those nowadays) is worthy of praise and should be considered bargains. That's because some of us have tried to replicate things like that and seen how much time and energy go into them...
The tangent we went off on had more to do with the fact several of us (at least I have) have undertaken projects like this and ended up investing more time and energy than was worth it considering factoring in an hourly labor rate for our time -- when it was all said and done, we could have just bought a manufactured model cheaper.
And I was trying to make it clear; perhaps the message didn't come through: Some people absolutely love tinkering around on their own projects and happily investing their time on something of this sort of scope... and I do too sometimes. But from strictly a cost perspective, it's often times cheaper just to buy it -- and I think that's kinda what Coug (the original poster) was trying to figure out.
And we agree -- either the Hydrapress at $170 or the Toad press at $185 (I think that's what he gets for those nowadays) is worthy of praise and should be considered bargains. That's because some of us have tried to replicate things like that and seen how much time and energy go into them...