# Bow Press Parts



## tiresmoke216 (Aug 30, 2004)

Anyone know where I can get rollers for a bow press? My nephew is a tool & Die maker and if I can get the parts he is going to make me a press!


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## pinkfletch (Sep 16, 2002)

Anyplace that sell boat trailers and supplies would have the rollers.


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

http://shop.easternmarine.com

I suggest:
5" boat spool rollers, black rubber, 1/2" tube, Yates Spool Roller Stock# 5272014

Buddy of mine bought an Apple press with 4" rollers - would not fit his split limb bow - Apple had to send him some on which they carved out the sides. I tried his original 4" rollers and found them to be a bit narrow to my liking on my solid limb Switchback. So I bought the 5".

I just finished my press - spec'd out for a Switchback specifically. I am letting the paint dry on it right now and will post a picture in a day or so on this thread. All bolted together - no welds (I thought that welds would be unnecessary - and I was right - now I am VERY portable if I want to be). I have pressed my bow 5 or 6 times already as I needed to time the cam and correct a lousy peep job done by a shop pro. The press works great and talk about convenient!!!

I bought 4 of the 5" rollers, but only used 2. I preferred to use heater hose (2 layers of hose - 1/2" and 3/4") over 1/2" steel rounds for the inner rollers that press against the riser. For the outer rollers I used the boat spool rollers covered with athletic wrist bands on the roller part to protect paint on the limbs (probably unnecessary, but an idea I got from a pro shop).

Including paint, consumable tools (metal cut off wheels) but not some tools (drill bits, oil, and metal file) I had on hand, mine cost about $115 including all taxes and shipping. I used a radial arm saw, bench grinder, clamps, and drill press to complete the fabrication. No welding.


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## tiresmoke216 (Aug 30, 2004)

I would like to see a picture before I build mine. Thanks for the reply! A coworker told me our local wally mart has the rollers, I am going to stop after work to check. Thanks Brian


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

I basically copied the plans from:
http://www.bowzone.ca/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=122

But I made some corrections (wrong hole sizes) and I did not want to weld. I have attached my photos below. I also used 2 pieces of heater hose as I said above and I used 2 rollers. 

If I had to do it over again I'm not sure I'd paint. My fittings for the legs and feet are tight - scraped off the paint, but not visible. Also, you have to know which piece goes where in what orientation in order to get the holes lined up correctly (I clamped joints together and drilled holes, assuring they would line up properly as long as I had the correct piece in the correct hole - I'll label them more closely now).

Others have done their own variation on this press. I could drill more holes in the horizontal bar to make it more flexible - or in the arms - but this is my press and I'll only work on 1 bow for now.

I took 2 photos of the parts so you could get some idea of the holes I cut to make a fitting hole for the legs and feet (with steel tube you have to be careful of the orientation of the inner weld - otherwise your pieces will not fit tightly or perhaps not at all unless you carve out the weld. Not a big deal, but be mindful if you choose my bolted method instead of welding). 

I drilled holes in the feet on one side so I could bolt it to my workbench. Originally I clamped it. Neither is really necessary - it is heavy and fairly stable.

Finally, I used rubberbands to hold the bow's riser to the inner rollers.

Good luck.


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## nolucklarry (Oct 5, 2004)

How do you assure that the cable doesn't slip off of the jack? I would be worried about that. Otherwise, great job. :thumbs_up Guess I now need to make the time to make one.


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

nolucklarry said:


> How do you assure that the cable doesn't slip off of the jack? I would be worried about that. Otherwise, great job. :thumbs_up Guess I now need to make the time to make one.


I bought a 1" or 1.25" pipe cap (I forget which - one was too big and the other just a bit too small). I used my grinder to file down the sides of the bottle jack end to fit inside the pipe cap. Then I used my grinder to cut a groove down the middle of the pipe cap. The groove cradles the cable and it will not slip.

I also (see pitcure) recommend buying two "pal nuts" for the 1/2" steel rounds used for the boat rollers - they keep them from running off the end. I wanted to keep the back side open for installation and easy removal to break the press down for storage. With enough (6") length on the 1/2" steel rounds, you need not worry about them coming out of the support arms or main beam while pressing. They rotate freely in the 1/2" holes drilled for them.


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## arrowhawk (Feb 21, 2003)

Do a search 10xring
I copied prints he e mailed me and I am VERY HAPPY with the press. I Made my press with less angle on the arms.


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

When I started out, I was trying to go for a fit like the Sure-Loc X-Press. On a Switchback the X-Press inner rollers press against the limbs just above the riser. Then the outer rollers press up against the limbs just below the split. Doing it in this manner allows you to avoid turning out the limb bolts 7 full turns (according to Mathews).

When I started constructing the press and considered all the distances and angles involved, I decided the inner roller placement for an X-Press type fit would take too much precision - I could not be sure the inner rollers would not hit the riser, and what the implications of that would be. So I called Mathews - they told me that for a dual roller press the inner rollers should hit the riser right above the circular hole between the vibration dampeners and the end of the riser. That turned out to be exactly 24". Once those were positioned, positioning the limb rollers fell into place, knowing the limitations on the vertical distance the bottle jack can raise the cable and press the limbs. But I have to turn out the limb bolts 7 full turns before pressing. Oh, well.

Like I said, I tailored my press to the Switchback (and its parallel limbs). I ordered the horizontal bar longer than it is - I cut off and discarded a few extra inches I did not want, but that might have been used for a press used onnon-parallel limb bows.


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## chuckatuk (May 28, 2003)

saw this post this morning an ran out an made one.i used 4 rollers instead.took about 2 hours to put together.not including time to get materials
i have less than 65.00 in it and it works great.would have been cheaper but had to buy 2 pices of tubing from lowes that alone was 32.00.thanks for posting this.an saving me some$$$$
gary


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## dride04 (Aug 4, 2004)

How would this type of press work on a Bowtech Allegiance??? Would it work fine??


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

Don't know why it would not work on an Allegiance - it has parallel limbs like the Switchback. I'd call Bowtech and ask about placement of the rollers on the riser and limbs when pressing. Then drill the holes in the steel tubes accordingly. 

I'm sure there are a lot of proshops out there pressing Switchbacks on dual roller presses with the rollers on the riser in places not recommended by Mathews. And I'd guess they do just fine. But I wanted to go with what the manufacturer said, so my inner rollers are pretty wide - but that's what the company said to do. By the way, Mathews recommended against using a pull-down strap type of press on the Switchback (a press that has outer rollers only).

Mathews is switching to all Sure-Loc X-Presses at its manufacturing plant. They used to use Apple and still use some. They found the X-Press worked best on parallel limbs, let them press without turning out the limb bolts (because they don't press against the riser with the X-Press), and was flexible enough to handle non-parallel limbs. Basically it could to it all. I'd buy one except for the price. So I found the plans on the link above and modified them for my purposes.

Chuckatuk - glad you saved some money!


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## hylander (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm in the proccess of building my own Press,
How do you install the cable swedges.
Do you just slide them over the cable and then smash the 
Crap out of them or is there something else to it.


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## arrowshooters (Jun 5, 2006)

I believe there is a tool that you use to crimp them. I went with the u-clamps.


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

I just used an anvil and a hammer (hitting with the angled edge of the hammer head in 2 places on each swedge - I'm sure hitting it with the head flat woudl be fine, too). Do one side first and check your cable length before you commit to a final caable length. You might want to use the "U" clamp on one end to give you some flexibility in this regard or flexibility for use on multiple bows.


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## MikeK (Dec 30, 2003)

Midlife,

Admirable job!


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## jimineecricket (Mar 31, 2004)

cool


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