I bought mine from an individual, about a 2 hour drive.  Following week there was one for sale locally for same price but did not have the castors or rip fence.  Seems going price these days is around $100 for the saw.  I did get the rip fence and 6 used blades 1/4" and less.  Like the castors but need to do a little maintenance on them.  Still have the rubber tires and am looking for a rip fence, I can make an extended table if needed.  Thanks for all the info, its appreciated.

5 hours ago, Lost Oki said:

Seems going price these days is around $100 for the saw.

Pretty much the same around here now Don. Those with the cast iron tables seem to bring $125-150.

5 hours ago, Lost Oki said:

Thanks for all the info, its appreciated.

Glad to help as I know @lewand all others are as well. Ask any time. One of the many attributes that make this site so great is everyone's willingness to help. Glad you're here with us.

Absolutely!

@Lost Oki - Hey Don, I watched all four of the YT in this series.  Fascinating!  I would really like to see some of your work.  Do you bow hunt with any of your bows?

Cal, both of my successful bows have come in at 32-35 lb draw weight and I need 40lb.  I have wanted to build one for years (been shooting a bow since I was 10)  I am a newbie at this, my goal was 40 lb  but I am still trying to hit that mark.

Both bows were made from the same 1x6" x8ft oak board, cut to basic shape using table saw, shaped with draw knife, hand plane and rasp.  I backed both with burlap just in case they decided to come apart, so far so good.  Note:  Did not have a draw knife, couldn't fined one in my area so I built one out of a file I had and that's another story all in its own, see pic below.

 

The bow is so very cool Don. Amazing work on your draw knife too. Well done on both fronts sir.

 

Seeing your bow pictures and resourcefulness making the draw knife took me back 60+ years. As a kid, we had a neighbor who lived a couple houses down from ours. He was an older gentleman, Native American. He allowed a few of us street kids to hang around while he handmade bows. We lived near a bluff area above a small river. I still can see him, slowly, patiently shaping and forming using his knife and large pieces of broken bottle glass...like from old pop bottles, Clorox bleach bottles, milk bottles and house glass.

 

His work was so precise, methodical and completed bows were amazing. Don't know what wood he used. He did make, letting us help some, kids versions. We thought we were something. He also handmade all of his own arrows. Our arrows were plenty blunt but would penetrate the targets into the straw bales. He was a truly kind and patient man with us kids. Thanks for jogging that memory. Haven't thought about this in lots of years.

Holy cow Don, that is some nice work, all around I do hope that as you move forward with your hobby that you will be sharing more pics of the journey.  How long have you been at this, and how many attempts have you made to build "the perfect bow"?

 

@Grandpadave52 - great memory neighbor!  Perhaps in some of your old family photos there might be a pic of Dave playing cowboys & indians with one of those bows...

 

@Fred W. Hargis Jr - Fred, it doesn't look like you've seen this thread.  As a current or former bow hunter you might find this to be an interesting read.

Cal, actually started doing a little research early last year on bow building.  I had the oak boards on hand and one seemed to have ok grain flow so I gave it a shot, built bow 1 and 2 last year.  Have since build bow 2 and 3 and they both broke.  Waiting on bow 4 (Apple wood limb) to dry, hope to start on it in a few months.  Have been looking for a hickory or osage orange tree in my area but so far no one wants to let me cut down their tree.  I do have a 2nd apple limb drying and that's why I was looking for the right saw blade.  From what I was told and found out, apple does not split well so you have to say.  The limb is 4" in diameter and 78" long.  Will post as I go for the apple wood bow.  All this is assuming the fish aren't biting.