Cannot afford those expensive and branded best bow stabilizers from the market? You do not need to worry about it because today, we will discuss how to make a bow stabilizer at home. To make your stabilizer, you must know your ability to play with different lengths and different weights. These two play a significant role in creating a bow stabilizer. It will not just help you to make a bow stabilizer, but it will also help you to get your setup complete whether you are a target archer or a hunter. It will make your setup the way you like it.
Things you need:
If you are a type of a person who likes to go west or on hills, mountains for archery for hunting, and you are conscious of weight. In that case, to make a bow stabilizer, you should go with a little longer stabilizer because if you go with the more extended stabilizer, it will help you hold your bow as less weight you will need on the front end. The main part of your stabilizer is the rod, and it needs to be light with just the weight out on the back as it makes a big difference. The main thing that makes a bow stabilizer out of is trekking poles. You can get these trekking poles from local stores for approximately 15-20 dollars. You will not need to go out and buy the expensive trekking poles for building your stabilizer.
Some other things that you will need to make a stabilizer are some fender washers not more than 5, a quarter by inch, and half fender washers. The second thing you will need is four rubber washers with a quarter hole by inch and half the same size as offender washers. You will also be going to need a 5 16 by 24 fine thread bolt and some nuts. These 16 by 24 threads will fit the receiver on any stabilizer hole on a bow as it’s a standard size.
Also, you have to buy four quarter-inch washers. You will need to drill center holes in these washers to 5 16. After that, you will need 5 by 16 spacer instead of thread you could build the line. Next, you will be going to need a couple of nuts of a quarter by twenty coarse thread, and then you will need a quarter by 20 coarse thread bolt at least one inch long all-thread with quarter-inch washers and a nut.
Also, on this build, you will need a pipe cutter, tape measure, steel stick by any company, or I will prefer JB weld because the JB weld had a good result. It will also not break if it happens. You can build it, and you know how to fix it. You will also be going to need a piece of cardboard it will be used to mix up JB Weld.
There is one other accessory you will need is a stabilizer dampener. It will help to take out some shock. There are two different sizes, so you need to use the regular. It will fit a diameter of 9 16 to an inch, now you will have to pick up your trekking pole and unscrew it take it apart into three pieces. All these trekking poles are different in size and have different little ends. I have not used trekking bottom pieces, but if you want to use them, you could. The middle piece and the top are the main two that I will be going to use to make the stabilizer. If you get a trekking pole and it has little plastic on end, you have to keep that on there, and you will need to measure it from there to wherever you want to cut however long stabilizer you want.
Step 1:
Cutting and Inserting Foam
Take your pipe cutter and cut the pipe once you will cut it to the desired length. You will need to fill the inside with the 5 by 8 inch foam that you will get from at the hardware store. I recommend you to use spray foam if you will also use the kind made for doors and windows. don’t use the kind of expands a lot. It will be a mess.
Step 2:
Bonding:
After you got your foam piece inside, you will need to take out your JB weld. You have to mix it up, then you’ll get your five sixteen by twenty-four fine thread bolts, after that you will get it set up your JB weld one of the washers onto the head, then you will take a nut screw it on the washer, and then another nut as seen in the picture.
Step 3:
Tighten the thread:
If you have any thread tighter you can put some thread tied on there, tighten that down as good as possible. Now take the pole and knock the plastic in. But the end that you cut put the thread that was in above picture in it now get your JB weld that you got mixed and start squishing in there by turning your trekking pole at all times fill that whole cavity up with JB weld then go ahead smoosh it in right there, then you will fill up all around that nut that you have putted in Pole trying to keep the JB weld from not getting onto your thread and also you will have to put a half inch sticking out, you try to keep it’s centered as possible.
Step 4:
Making Poles:
Once the weld dries you can take a file and sand down any rough edges. Make sure you use pole of different color and it had a rubber handle on to the pole itself, just keep your mind open when you making these and try different stuff so now this is a finished, your finished product for your bow side. Now we have got to go the other side with the plastic piece and like I said some of them don’t have this plastic piece but this is going to be your weighted end so on your weighted end now you will need to take your coupling nut your quarter inch coarse thread bolt three of your quarter inch washers after that you need to put the nut on and then you will need to thread this onto the coupling and tighten that down as good as possible.
Step 5:
Apply Bond:
Now take the piece that you just made in above step and make up some more JB weld, all you will need to make up is just you cut off about a half inch of JB weld mix it up good together so it’s a good gray color then you will be ready to go now put that thing which you have made in step 5 into trekking pole and take JB weld, start smooshing it all in there in the hole easing it down in there try to get JB weld all the way around evenly across the whole thing. If that don’t center get you another random quarter inch by 20 coarse thread put it on their hold it out here and it will help you smoosh that JB weld in and get that thing as center as possible and then once it dries if you need to take a file to it you can file it off smooth and then that is yours is finished product.
Step 6:
Adding Weight And Finalizing
Now you will have to do is to put a fender washer over it a rubber washer over it fender washer so on until you get whatever weight that you want, now right here is where you can play around with different weights like I said the longer the stabilizer the less the weight you will need. It is necessary to put the rubber pieces between that washers as it helps give it a little more dampening in the stabilizer and then you just simply screw that on tighten it down at this point you will take your max jacks stabilizer adapter, as I said you don’t have to use these but it look better and I think it does help.
This now you’re finished product I hope this has been a informative article for you all and I hope it help you out to save a little money and when you go to shoot somebody asked about stabilizer and they will be impressed to hear that you have made it by your self
Additional Instructions for better results:
Making a bow stabilizer is a cheaper option. But to make it an effective choice, you would have to consider several factors. And if you are making your first DIY Bow stabilizer, you might be wondering what size and weight you should be putting on it for the best results. Therefore, while making your first DIY Bow stabilizer, you should keep these factors as a guideline to help you throughout the setup.
1. Length:
The first thing is the length. So, while cutting the rod and inserting foam, you should know what size stabilizer you are looking for. Since your homemade bow stabilizer can not be as effective as a branded one, still it can work for you. Therefore, ideally, you should use it as a secondary stabilizer for your bow.
If that’s also the case for you, then you should keep its length between 16 to 30 inches. This length stabilizer will work best for longer range and also keep your bow silent while shooting.
2. Color:
Since you are making your stabilizer with your own hands, you can customize it completely. This way, you can choose the colors of your personal preference rather than buying the one available in the market. Moreover, most people would prefer to make their stabilizer with a similar color to bow. However, if you are an outdoor hunter, you should pick colors ideal for camouflaging yourself. But, if you are an archer who only aims at targets in his backyard, you can go with the color you like.
3. DIY Bow Stabilizer Weight:
If you are under a tight budget, you can save a few bucks from the weight. Many archers also use thick washers instead of buying proper weights. Since they are cheaper than archery weights, it is a budget-friendly option. But, while ordering thick washers from an online store, you must note their weights. This way, it will be easy for you to adjust the weight on your bow stabilizer.
Testing the Bow Stabilizer
Once you have made your first bow stabilizer, there are some standards to check how good your stabilizer is. Plus, these are also the factors you should be considering while buying a new bow stabilizer.
Firstly, you are supposed to make a few shots with it to get an idea about it. After that, examine the following factors.
1. Vibration Reduction:
Since we are using spray foam in it, this bow stabilizer should absorb most of the vibration. Moreover, if you aim at longer ranges, then this may reduce the torque.
While shooting arrows, every bow vibrates. This vibration is because no bow sends complete energy to the arrow. Instead, most of the energy remains inside the bow and generates vibration. Therefore, archers use stabilizers. And if your homemade stabilizer is capable of transferring energy to your arrow then it is a huge success.
This stabilizer will help you in aiming for longer ranges and also help your aiming precision.
2. Steady Shooting:
What a bow stabilizer is for? It is to make your shooting steadier. By adding extra weight, you can make your bow heavier. However, there is no specific formula or weight to make your bow steady. It varies from person to person, and the ideal setting for your hand can also change over time. The more muscles you build, you will need a heavier stabilizer to keep it steady. Therefore, while buying extra weights or washers, you should buy a couple of them so you can adjust them accordingly. Other than that, most archers also use several settings of weight for different scenarios. But, you will get used to them over some practice and experience.
3. Perfect Balance:
Making your bow steady or stable does not mean it becomes perfectly balanced. A Bow Stabilizer should be balanced according to you. For instance, if you observe your bow stabilizer, all of its tiny accessories are attached on one side and the bow stabilizer is connected on the other side. This way, your bow is likely to get disbalance or lean towards a single side. If you do not like it this way, then you can use sidebars to stabilize your bow completely. But, for most archers, a bow leaning towards a single is perfect and works more effectively.
DIY Bow Stabilizer Weight Adjusting Weight
There are several ways to adjust your stabilizer’s weight. Yet each of them is time-consuming and asks for continuous effort. But it is worth the struggle you are going to make for it.
First, make a few shots at a target and observe where your arrows are hitting. If most of your shots are impact too much above the target, then you should increase the weight at the end of the stabilizer. This will make your bow heavier and more difficult to lift. As a result, your arrows will start getting hit slightly lower and close to the main target.
In contrast, if your arrows are constantly hitting the bottom of the target, it’s time to lighten your bow stabilizer and remove some additional weight. This way, it will also be easier to aim, and your arrows are likely to hit slightly higher on the target.
However, keep in mind that you would have to repeat these steps over and over again to find the perfect weight adjustment for yourself. Also, that adjusting weight will enhance your aiming precision, but if you do not have basic skills, it can not help you. In other words, it is a helping trick for professionals and people who practice every day.
Frequently Asked Questions:
While making a Bow Stabilizer, most archers ask similar questions. Therefore, we are answering all of them here, so you do not have to look for them anywhere else.
What makes a bow stabilizer perfect?
A perfect stabilizer is a stabilizer that puts additional weight on the forward end. This weight will make your bow heavier and make your aim steady. Moreover, having a long-length bow stabilizer makes it a perfect fit for almost every scenario. Therefore, you should practice setting your hand on a longer stabilizer.
Other than that, vibration reduction is the factor that makes a significant impact on your hunting performance. A perfect stabilizer with vibration reduction can also increase the reach of your arrow up to 10 to 30 yards. Moreover, most vibration controlling stabilizers come with sound control. In other words, you are making your bow a silent killer without making any tremendous effort in the practice. Therefore, it is going to be a huge plus point while hunting and hiding your location from others.
How do I know if I need a bow stabilizer?
These days, every professional archer has a bundle of stabilizers. Therefore, you can not ignore the significance of a stabilizer mounted with a bow. Moreover, it is also used in games like the Olympics, so you should also be considering the option to get one. However, it is not a must-have tool with a bow. But, if you are a bow hunter or archer, you should get one as soon as possible because this will enhance your aiming skills, and you will see a visible difference in your performance.
When Bow Stabilizers are unnecessary?
According to a small group of archers, if you do not stretch your shots more than 40 yards, or shoot in extreme weather, you are not making full use of a bow stabilizer.
Other than that, using a small length stabilizer is also like using a stabilizer with a quarter potential as compared to a long length stabilizer. Still, these factors do not make it completely useless but decrease the value they add to your archery experience.
What is a Bow Stabilizer?
A bow stabilizer is a weighted rod located on the bow that lowers the movement of the bow while aiming increasing shot accuracy. Bow stabilizers also take in the strong vibrations that are generated when the bowstring releases. This reduction of vibration helps in the launch of the arrow. A bow stabilizer takes your archery skill to the next level it gives you a winning edge whenever taking a shot.
The bow stabilizers come in many different sizes and weights. Various types of stabilizers are each designed to reduce a specific direction of movement. Many archers or hunters chose the medium-length stabilizers in the extent of 10 to 15 inches. These are usually the most suitable option for those who are seeing adjustments in their stabilizer. There are many benefits as it enhances the shooting ability, and the other advantage of stabilizer is when an archer takes a shot, it will increase the chances of having the more accurate shot. Many archers prefer medium-length stabilizers, but there is the benefit of a higher stabilizer as it takes less weight to stabilize the bow. You will find many stabilizers with expensive rates but today we will learn about how we can make a bow at home and the things we need to make stabilizers.
Conclusion:
Making A DIY Bow stabilizer is not just cheap, but it will also let you customize it according to your hunting taste. So, if you have tried several bow stabilizers and none of them is working perfectly, then making one by yourself is not just budget friendly but a step towards a better experience. Therefore, you should give it a try at least once.