# DIY Carbon Stabilizers? Anyone doing it?



## XFR_Jay (Apr 10, 2009)

I see on websites and ebay you can buy carbon fiber tube, has anyone tried making their own stabilizer similar to a doinker? I have never cut a doinker apart to see the thickness of the tubing but the tubing is cheap and I have access to a lathe to turn down ends and make weights etc. Just was curious if this has been tried yet and what the outcome was


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## chacam (May 21, 2010)

I just made one from a carbon golf shaft from an old driver. Large end towards the bow and I ground the head of a bolt round, inserted it in place and epoxied it. Haven't decided what to do on the other end yet. Probably will drill a hole in halfway through a golf ball and use it. Whole thing weighs about 3 1/5 ounces. The Doinker I took off weighed almost 12 ounces.


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

I looked into doing it but what I found was the retail cost of the carbon tube didn't make doing it your self all that appealing. Perhaps I just didn't find the right source. I have seen some on here that were DIY and beautiful but most of the time they were using carbon tube that was pilfered from something else. If you end up making something be sure and share the pictures.


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## Loren Jensen (Nov 7, 2011)

I was tempted to make my own at my technical school but I've come to the conclusion that I would need a steel madrel. So I turned an aluminum one on the lathe.


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## XHOGGER1 (Mar 30, 2004)

Here is the stabilzer and sight that I made from scratch !!!


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

I have cheated in the past by using thin aluminum tubing and wrapping it with a vinyl carbon fiber wrap. Looked good if you didn't see the seam:wink:
Now I shoot for Dead Center Archery Products and love their stabs.


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## protonvx (Dec 28, 2011)

XHOGGER1 - Sight looks heavy, but functional. Nice machining!


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## XHOGGER1 (Mar 30, 2004)

Sight weighs almost the same as a custom bow equipment sight. No heavier then most hunting sights. I designed it to use 1 pin and adjust while at full draw.
Thanks


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## Mig (Nov 26, 2008)

b0w_bender said:


> I looked into doing it but what I found was the retail cost of the carbon tube didn't make doing it your self all that appealing. Perhaps I just didn't find the right source. I have seen some on here that were DIY and beautiful but most of the time they were using carbon tube that was pilfered from something else. If you end up making something be sure and share the pictures.


I made a 36" Carbon target stabilizer for $30. The carbon tube OD is .625 and the wall thickness is .043". the tube weighs 3.05 ounces. It took me a while but I found a place that makes it for a decent price. All other places, the average price for something like that is double. I'm shooting hunter class while a friend of mine is shooting my target stab for open. He really like's it. I bought him his own tube but he hasn't finished it yet. I can't tell you the total weight of it since I don't know the weights of the aluminum ends I put on it. I'm thinking about ordering some more and making different length ones. It's amazing how companies charge so much for stabilizers of similar sizes. But I guess it's also a benefit that my dad owns a couple lathes to make the ends for the stabs.


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## Loren Jensen (Nov 7, 2011)

Mig said:


> I made a 36" Carbon target stabilizer for $30. The carbon tube OD is .625 and the wall thickness is .043". the tube weighs 3.05 ounces. It took me a while but I found a place that makes it for a decent price. All other places, the average price for something like that is double. I'm shooting hunter class while a friend of mine is shooting my target stab for open. He really like's it. I bought him his own tube but he hasn't finished it yet. I can't tell you the total weight of it since I don't know the weights of the aluminum ends I put on it. I'm thinking about ordering some more and making different length ones. It's amazing how companies charge so much for stabilizers of similar sizes. But I guess it's also a benefit that my dad owns a couple lathes to make the ends for the stabs.


Can you share where you get your tube from?


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## Mig (Nov 26, 2008)

Loren Jensen said:


> Can you share where you get your tube from?


PM'd


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## Hoyt_em (Feb 18, 2007)

I have made plans several times, researched the tube resource and have never gone much past that. 

Eventually, I will get around to it...


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## crowofcrow (Apr 13, 2008)

did the golf shaft thing.go to a golf pro shop that does repairs they usually have broken shafts.they usually brake low and can,t be reused as the diameter and stiffness have changed.


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## John0341 (May 25, 2009)

a good friend of mine just made one alum ends 9/16ths carbon shaft it is very nice all done for around 70 and plenty left over for 4 more stabs ill try to get pics of it for you


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## Squawsach (Apr 26, 2008)

I make my own from carbon fiber tubing bought off the web. You can build 3 for the cost of buying 1.


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## Loren Jensen (Nov 7, 2011)

These all look very nice. Squawsach, did you use aluminum stock for the inserts?


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## XFR_Jay (Apr 10, 2009)

I found tube on ebay for 30-45 depending on od id and wall thickness. I have plenty of scrap alum and access to lathe's so I thought it might be worth a shot. From what I gather they use the tubing for remote control air planes and such


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## cabbage2009 (Apr 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted by Mig
> I made a 36" Carbon target stabilizer for $30. The carbon tube OD is .625 and the wall thickness is .043". the tube weighs 3.05 ounces. It took me a while but I found a place that makes it for a decent price. All other places, the average price for something like that is double. I'm shooting hunter class while a friend of mine is shooting my target stab for open. He really like's it. I bought him his own tube but he hasn't finished it yet. I can't tell you the total weight of it since I don't know the weights of the aluminum ends I put on it. I'm thinking about ordering some more and making different length ones. It's amazing how companies charge so much for stabilizers of similar sizes. But I guess it's also a benefit that my dad owns a couple lathes to make the ends for the stabs.





> Can you share where you get your tube from?


 Can u tell me to?


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## Mineisbigger27 (Jan 3, 2012)

Me three


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## Mineisbigger27 (Jan 3, 2012)

And four


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

and 5, oh heck just post it here...


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## RoxieTrees (Dec 12, 2011)

Squawsach said:


> I make my own from carbon fiber tubing bought off the web. You can build 3 for the cost of buying 1.


What sizes are yall using to make these? I see many choices, but I'm not sure about what wall thickness to use, and what kind of stiffness they have. I've found a couple nice places to buy the tubes from, but not sure what exactly to get. Thanks for the help.


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## Mineisbigger27 (Jan 3, 2012)

http://www.rockwestcomposites.com/browse/fabric-carbon-tubing

I found this site it's the best reference I could find and prices. Waiting for a better price and site from the poster. Halfway down e page is the same size he used. As far as milling the pieces I do not have a lathe so I'm SOL


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## RoxieTrees (Dec 12, 2011)

I found this place... Seems like good prices, with a few different finishes and sizes to choose... The 60" piece would be perfect for 36" main bar and 2 12" side bars..... Seriously thinking about it.... Now, where do yall get the light aluminum inserts for the threaded ends?

http://www.carbonfibertubeshop.com/small tubing.html


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## Mineisbigger27 (Jan 3, 2012)

Found that place too


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## Mineisbigger27 (Jan 3, 2012)

Squawsach where are you


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## ohiorobp (Nov 20, 2011)

Would you mind sending me a pm with this info also? Thanks in advance.


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## bowhunter1661 (Oct 9, 2010)

Here is my rendition. This just so happens to be my side bar but I used some vinyl carbon fiber wrap I found at the local auto parts store. Measured, cut, and wrapped it. I think it looks pretty decent. The second pic is the seam I don't know how I got them to match up lol luck I suppose. I may do my stabilizer to match...


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## bowhunter1661 (Oct 9, 2010)

sorry must have accidentally added the bass lol


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## ohiorobp (Nov 20, 2011)

bowhunter1661 said:


> sorry must have accidentally added the bass lol


Lmao, cool pic though.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


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## cncjerry (Jun 28, 2011)

If you are going for looks and ultimate weight savings, etc. then CF is the way to go. Very nice work shown here. Tapp plastics has epoxy fibre tube, that is dull black, can be sanded lightly and polished, very strong, light, I think 1.128oz per foot, and it costs roughly $15.25 per 5ft at .745". It is great for prototypes before investing in CF. 

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=144&PHPSESSID=20120209191502544910184


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## ohiorobp (Nov 20, 2011)

cncjerry said:


> If you are going for looks and ultimate weight savings, etc. then CF is the way to go. Very nice work shown here. Tapp plastics has epoxy fibre tube, that is dull black, can be sanded lightly and polished, very strong, light, I think 1.128oz per foot, and it costs roughly $15.25 per 5ft at .745". It is great for prototypes before investing in CF.
> 
> http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=144&PHPSESSID=20120209191502544910184


Hey, thanks for that. Great idea.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


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## cncjerry (Jun 28, 2011)

This is a mockup of a short 12in stab that will go with v-bars. The endcaps are sized to fit the tube which measures .745 OD so a .75 reamer will give a decent fit and room for glue. The endcaps weigh 1.006 ounce with the 5/16-24 threads. So this short bar will end up costing me about $3.50 using the epoxy fiber tube. The mockup is really close to the color and texture of the epoxy tube.


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## cncjerry (Jun 28, 2011)

I made the end caps for this stabilizer and they came out great. They weighed in right around an ounce per. 









I am looking at making a multi-rod to see how it performs since they seem to be gaining in popularity. This one I am thinking about making a kit which would include two end caps and a mid-span brace for those of us that would like to experiment. I am going to try using the epoxy fibre rods again from Tap Plastics. They have some that are .261 diameter. The advantage I see so far is that the side cross section will be lower than a .75 diameter rod. Also, the end caps are coming in at .5 oz where the end caps in the first design are one ounce. It also should be stiffer but the modeling was inconclusive since I don't have good spec's for the .261 tube. If anyone has DIY'ed one like this, please PM me if you would like to colaborate. 










Jerry


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