# Custom bow case



## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Seems there is a shortage of DIY bow cases so I thought I would show the one that I am making. I thought about using all wood or a light wood frame covered with aluminum but decided on all aluminum.
I have some 2024T3 clad aluminum in .040 and .032. I am using the .040 for the sheeting and the .032 for the angle and brackets. The hinge is a aluminum piano type hinge.
I spent about four hours cutting parts and bending angles. Next I riveted the angle pieces to the bottom sheet.

















More to follow


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Here is the bottom sheet turned upside down with the angles riveted







Next the sides were riveted to the bottom angles and smaller angles riveted to the top of the sides








More to follow


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## vhram (Jul 1, 2005)

looks great so far , cant wait to see finished.


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## ganesh.krish021 (Jul 16, 2011)

Very nice !!


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## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

Very cool!

I see a piano hinge --- what other hardware will you be using? Will you be making your own? 

I've had a bit of difficulty sourcing brass hardware for my wooden cases --- still looking for an affordable source of suitable ball catches and brass strike plates (gave up looking for nice, solid brass draw catches). One of my considerations in getting a milling machine was to be better able tomake my own hardware.


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## Bownut400 (May 29, 2007)

Air plane guy Huh, looking good.


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## Ballingerjon (Jun 10, 2013)

That's bad ass I want one lol


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## cshs (Apr 25, 2011)

That is awesome, I teach metal working in high school, I see my next project


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## henro (Oct 9, 2007)

Very cool!


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

i like it!


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## wookie (Oct 11, 2002)

Here is the rolling double case I built. The first one got ran over by my truck. The case was BER, but the two bows inside were fine.


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## wookie (Oct 11, 2002)

A couple more pics


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

WillAdams said:


> Very cool!
> 
> I see a piano hinge --- what other hardware will you be using? Will you be making your own?
> 
> I've had a bit of difficulty sourcing brass hardware for my wooden cases --- still looking for an affordable source of suitable ball catches and brass strike plates (gave up looking for nice, solid brass draw catches). One of my considerations in getting a milling machine was to be better able tomake my own hardware.


this is what I have so far. Not sure if I will use these latches yet. I do like that they can be locked.


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Good looking case Wookie


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

The lid fits.







The stand-offs are bent







Drilling the hinge


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Now I need to figure out the internal bracing and stiffeners and finish the rest of the side angles. 








I forgot to mention that the dimensions are 35.75 wide X 17.25 deep X 6.125 tall. To get the required size I traced the bow outline on paper, measured 1.5" off the string and drew a line parallel to the string. Next I marked 1.5" off the pulleys and drew lines 90 deg to the string line. Then I extended the line for the front to give a little room for accessories and clipped the sides (30 degrees I think).

So far it is very light weight.


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## Ballingerjon (Jun 10, 2013)

how much u want for it i will buy it lol


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## Pittstate23 (Dec 27, 2010)

That thing is sick


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Finished the reinforcement for the carry handle







Added wear strips to the bottom







Here is how the bow will sit in the case


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## vhram (Jul 1, 2005)

Great project!


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## concepthomes1 (Jul 2, 2012)

What are all those things sticking out?

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## SteveinAZ (Aug 16, 2012)

concepthomes1 said:


> What are all those things sticking out?
> 
> Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2



"Clecos" are sticking out...typical fare in the aircraft sheet metal trade. Basically used as a temporary rivet - you get everything aligned and drilled, adding Clecos as you go. Remove them as you rivet to hold everything together and in place.

Very nice project...I made one for myself years ago, but thought I wanted it to withstand the truck driving over it. I formed the top and bottom from only two pieces of 0.090" - 5052-H32 IIRC. What I didn't realize when I was building it is I needed a receiver mounted crane on the back of the truck to get it in and out! That thing was HEAVY, but I do think it may have held up to the truck.

Anyway, nice build!

Steve

ps...next one I build I'd like to try a carbon fiber layup with an aluminum "window frame" for the halves to join. Might need a bigger cnc machine to make that, as good of an excuse as any to go buy one!!!!


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Didn't get to work on it today, had to work a 13 hr shift. I posted pictures from yesterday. 

The clecos are specific to the size hole you drill and require special pliers made for them. You can see the pliers in a few of the pictures. They are a very nice tool to have when working with metal. 



> ps...next one I build I'd like to try a carbon fiber layup with an aluminum "window frame" for the halves to join. Might need a bigger cnc machine to make that, as good of an excuse as any to go buy one!!!!


I thought about fiberglass but decided against the mess. I don't think I could get a composite case much lighter than this one. 
Carbon would be good if you were going to produce cases. Once you got set up you could probably turn them out quickly.

This case is a one time deal. I have about eight or nine hours in this one so far, I made a few changes that slowed things down plus this is kind of a design as I go project.
If you could CNC all the parts and not have to do any cutting, just rivet it together then it may be cost effective to produce them.



> Air plane guy Huh


 Yea Bownut400 sometimes it feels like a curse :darkbeer::lol3:

I need to come up with a paint idea. I am thinking about just plain olive drab or maybe some form of camo. It will be sliding around in the back of a pickup or stuffed in a jeep so it is going to get scratched up. Any ideas?


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

looking great Jetech!


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## ThomVis (Feb 21, 2012)

jetech said:


> I need to come up with a paint idea. I am thinking about just plain olive drab or maybe some form of camo. It will be sliding around in the back of a pickup or stuffed in a jeep so it is going to get scratched up. Any ideas?


Black bedliner as base and paint the lighter colors of urban camo over it. Even when it gets scuffed it doesn't look too bad.


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## vhram (Jul 1, 2005)

Looking good!


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

That is wicked sweet, What is the final weight?


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

> What is the final weight?


Haven't weighed it yet. I still have some things to do but it feels lighter than the bow. That will change when I put the interior in.


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## Mathewsman222 (May 20, 2010)

this is the coolest diy ive seen in forever. you should be selling them for a couple hundred by special order


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Here are some 1/4"X1/2" angles I added to stiffen the bottom. I Also added two ,040 reinforcing straps to the lid.


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

ThomVis said:


> Black bedliner as base and paint the lighter colors of urban camo over it. Even when it gets scuffed it doesn't look too bad.


Has anyone used the spray can bed liner? I am seeing mixed reviews on it. Some say it is a two day process.


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Was able to work on it a little today. I put a rubber weather seal on the bottom flange. Riveted on the latches and installed an automotive carpet on the inside of the lid.
The carpet is called Super flex. It is a light weight back-less carpet that you glue in place.


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## AK&HIboy (Mar 6, 2008)

Looks very VERY amazing!You are a skilled man for sure.Great work!


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks everyone for all the complements along the way. 

I was able to get the remaining carpet pieces installed. I should be able to paint the exterior tomorrow.


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## Solitairex79 (Jun 10, 2013)

Amazing work!

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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

I finally finished this project. The total weight with the bow and stabilizer is 19.5 lbs. I glued velcro to the bottom of the plastic box which makes it stick to the carpet so it wont move.










I decided to just Rust-oleum camo paint. I sprayed a base coat of tan. Next used a torn sponge to dab on the Olive drab, brown and black pattern. After that I laid Walnut tree leaves over everything and fogged on a light coat of Olive drab around the leaves to create a shadow pattern.


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## scaffido (Apr 21, 2011)

looks great but how many hours do you have in the fabrication? i know theres a sence of pride in doing it yourself but with your time and material, would it be cheaper to buy a SKB case at $250-$300?


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

scaffido said:


> looks great but how many hours do you have in the fabrication? i know theres a sence of pride in doing it yourself but with your time and material, would it be cheaper to buy a SKB case at $250-$300?


The material was free. I did have to buy the carpet (~$20.00), latches, handle(~$8.00) and paint (~$12.00). I think I have around 25 to 26 hours in it but as I said above I didn't really have a plan, just an idea of what I wanted so I spent a lot of time figuring out how I wanted it to go together.


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## ajoh (Jun 26, 2013)

damn jetech well done bud that looks awesome


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## Chiro_Archer (Jun 6, 2011)

Awesome


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## Mrhunt4deer (Jul 9, 2013)

That is awesome and I wish I had one but two questions, why not just make a rectangle and wouldn't it protect the bow better with some foam instead of carpet


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

Mrhunt4deer said:


> That is awesome and I wish I had one but two questions, why not just make a rectangle and wouldn't it protect the bow better with some foam instead of carpet


I decided on this shape so I could keep it compact and as light as possible. A rectangle case would have been easier to build though. 

It's hard to see in the pictures but the standoffs that cradle the bow don't allow the bow to touch the carpet. The bow is suspended away from the case bottom, top and sides by the padded vinyl wrapped standoff's and secured with velcro straps. If the case were to have a hard impact and dent in, most likely the dent would never reach the bow. The standoff's are held in place with four solid rivets each and are quite secure. Foam would have added more weight than the carpet also.

Keep in mind that this case is for a Spyder 30 only. The three standoff's are at different heights to fit the Spyder riser and hold it level in the case.


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## henro (Oct 9, 2007)




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## saddlin (Feb 3, 2015)

Here is a bow case I just finished. Both sides are the same. I used a deer hide from a deer I harvested this past fall, accented with walnut with cherry rails.


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## Maine Iceman (May 30, 2012)

All these cases are absolutely amazing. Congrats on all the hard work. It must swell you with pride to complete such a project.


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## saddlin (Feb 3, 2015)

Great job on the metal case, wish I could work with metal half as well as you do. I just finished this bow case & thought I'd share to give the readers some more ideas. Both sides are the same. I used a deer hide from one I harvested this fall, accented with walnut & used cherry for the rails. Used leather on the corners for accent & protection.


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## saddlin (Feb 3, 2015)

Sorry this got posted twice & can't seem to get the first deleted.


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## DnH_Scents (Sep 3, 2014)

Very nice work.


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## Electric Ned (Oct 21, 2014)

I'm making one out of 16 Ga plate finished with a glass-impregnated gunnite mix. I plan to drag it behind my motorcycle everywhere I go.


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