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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: TexasTrad on August 04, 2009, 11:24:00 PM

Title: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: TexasTrad on August 04, 2009, 11:24:00 PM

If you had to choose  only one power tool to use in building a take down recurve which would it be?

Band saw

Drill Press with drum sander bit

Belt sander

other??

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Bjorn on August 04, 2009, 11:41:00 PM

Band saw

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Kanga on August 05, 2009, 12:08:00 AM

It would be a toss up between the bandsaw and belt sander.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Hermann From Bavaria on August 05, 2009, 01:41:00 AM

band saw

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: ProArcher on August 05, 2009, 07:37:00 AM

Well I am only on my 3rd build. I have a belt sander at home, but I have a band saw at my parent’s house 20 miles away. I do have a Craftsman 10" table top band saw at home but the blade will not stay on. I also have a drill press (table top model), but no drum sander. So far if I had to say one power tool. It would be the 12" power planer I borrow from my dad. Both the bows I have built most of the work was done with a wood chisels and spoke shave. I can do most of what I do with them, but the planer is an absolute for getting the thickness right for me.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Tom Leemans on August 05, 2009, 09:16:00 AM

CNC mill

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: DCM on August 05, 2009, 09:21:00 AM

Drill press can do everything you will be required to do, although not as quickly, but the others cannot.  If you stipulate a jig and hand drill for boring the limb mounts, then the sander.  Band saw is near useless for glass work.  I have all three and only use the bandsaw to rough cut the riser, and it (glass) dulls the blade within 2".  And I could as easily do with hand tools as it ain't precision work anyway.  I use the sander for all the limb profiling, riser shaping, ect.

If I could only have 1 tool in the shop it would be the belt sander.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: TexasTrad on August 05, 2009, 10:25:00 AM

Thanks for all of the replies.  I think I will be using a jig and hand drill for the limb mounts.  

Question about using a belt sander:  what is the best system for collecting all of the dust.  Do you wear a mask?  Since I will be doing this in my garage I want to make sure I do what I can to minimize the mess and  avoid breathing in all of the dust (especially the fiberglass)

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: ProArcher on August 05, 2009, 10:48:00 AM

With some creativity and a good shop vac and PVC you could have a dust collector that works well.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Kanga on August 05, 2009, 11:30:00 AM

I used a shop vac with collector bag but even then I had to take the filter out and clean it every 30 minutes or so.

Now I have a real dust collector with a 5 micron bag and no dust escapes.
It draws 914 cubic feet per min.

I still wear a resperator tho when working with exotic woods, glass and boo one can never be too careful.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Ausie-guy/SDC12108.jpg)

I picked it up at Harbor Freight for $100 and another $25 for the 5 micron bag.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: DCM on August 07, 2009, 09:06:00 AM

Wear a mask!

My shop is a garage, 16' door on one end, 10' on the other.  I open it up and run a fan on high, as well as wearing a mask.  Then I blow it out with a leaf blower when I'm done.  It's the dust that settles everywhere that you then stir up later, when not wearing your mask, that will get you in the long run.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: TexasTrad on August 07, 2009, 11:27:00 AM

Thanks for all of the replies.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: scrub-buster on August 08, 2009, 02:21:00 AM

Favorite power tool?  I have to go with the chainsaw.  Osage is hard to chop.  Also, holding a loud chainsaw surrounded by trees is a pretty good feeling.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: snag on August 08, 2009, 02:42:00 PM

Horizontal 5" belt sander. I could taper shafts with it and a jig and do a lot of the shaping of bows on it.  Still have to have a band saw..."bet you can't have just one!"  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: oldgun on August 08, 2009, 04:41:00 PM

For collecting dust, build a box from plywood open front and back, install a electric fan inside and close both ends with a funace filter, keeps the dust down really well! It's all I use in the house and contains the dust very well.

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: Dano on August 08, 2009, 04:49:00 PM

If I was starting over and had to choose, It would have to be a good band saw, I could get by for a month or so.   :bigsmyl:

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: JEFF B on August 09, 2009, 04:39:00 AM

bandsaw

Title: Re: If You Had to Choose One Power Tool
Post by: TexasTrad on August 09, 2009, 09:28:00 AM

Thanks for all of the replies.  It sounds like I need a bandsaw and a combo belt/drum sander.

I hope I don't end up with as many tools as I have bows.  javascript:void(0)