*This article will be updated regularly as we produce more 'At-Home Archery Shop' videos.
It can be a daunting prospect if you want to build your own at-home archery shop. You might find yourself scrolling through the pages and pages of presses, levels, fletching jigs, arrow saws, and all these other tools that exist, wondering what in the world you actually need. Well, we are here to clear away the clutter for you. Read along below as we outline the essentials you will need to have a fully-functioning, at-home shop.
Working on Your Bow:
The first tool you thought of when considering getting your home setup was probably a bow press - rightfully so. This is the tool that allows you to install peep sights, adjust paper tears, time your bow, change your strings, and so much more. It is the quintessential tool, and a great choice here is the Last Chance EZ Green Press. It is simple to setup, simple to use, is compatible with a very wide variety of compound bows, and won't break the bank. There are also a bunch of EZ Green accessories that can make your bow pressing even more streamlined. If you don't happen to have a workbench to mount your press, you can also grab the floor stand here.
The best addition to your bow press, in the authors opinion, would be the Last Chance Draw Board. This attached directly to the arms of your press and can be used for precisely timing your bow and determining string angle while also being able to determine draw/holding weight with the addition of the Last Chance Bow Scale.
As far as accessorizing your bow is concerned, a very helpful tool would be a bow vise. The OMP Versa-Cradle is an intuitive and robust system that allows you to very easily work on your bow from virtually any angle. Tying your D-loop, installing string accessories, attaching stabilizer systems and quivers, and positioning and tuning your sight and more are all made easier - or possible - with a bow vise. On the topic of bow sights, you need a strong vise and levelling system in order to ensure your sight is tuned to your bow. Our recommendation would be the Hamskea Easy Third Axis Level. This allows you to level your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd axes on your sight to make sure your arrows hit your mark regardless of distance or angle.
Building Your Arrows:
Precise building of arrows is where the rubber really meets the road for many archers. You can have your tried and true bow system that you trust and don't want to deviate from, but changing up your arrows every once in a while is something that very few can resist - many have various sets of arrows based on the type of animal they are hunting and whether they're going for long range 3D shooting or competing in 18m target. And many change of these arrows every single year. My point is, you want a comprehensive arrow building system at your disposal.
Your first step is making sure you have a solid, reliable, and repeatable fletching system. We offer a Bitzenburger Fletching Jig Pro Package that has anything you need to get started fletching your arrows: glue, mat, jig, and jig accessories, In addition, the ST Sports Bitz Pro Setter ensures your fletching angles are consistently set and to your specifications every time, regardless if you want straight, offsets, or helicals.
Finally, you don't want to be shooting arrows that are cut to the wrong length and wobble like crazy. This is where a good arrow saw, square, and spinner come into play. Great choices in these departments come in the form of the Carbon Express Arrow Saw - a reliable and affordable saw for your at-home arrow building - and the OMP Flightdeck - an arrow spinner, cleaner, and squarer all in one.
Summary:
Collect all of these, and throw in some D-loop material, glue, and your favorite components, and you're all set for an amazing, fully built-out home archery shop.
Watch the videos below as we walk you through a great at-home setup using many of these items I've listed above: