Atelier — Tuning & Custom Builds
The Atelier
Chicago bench work for compound shooters. Tuning sessions, custom-built arrows, and 1:1 coaching from the person who built The Forge.
By appointment · Sparrow Expeditions HQ · Chicago, IL
Why this isn't a pro shop
The Forge handles the math — spine, FOC, sight tape, broadhead confidence score, dynamic spine. But sometimes you want the bench. Hands on your bow. Arrows built to it. The person who built the calculator standing across the table.
That's the Atelier. A small, gear-first workshop in Chicago. We tune your bow with the full pro sequence, build a dozen arrows tuned specifically to it, and walk you through what we saw and why. You leave with a working setup, a printed spec sheet, a laminated cheat sheet for the field, and a year of Pro Forge so the bench work travels home with you in software.
This isn't $80 shop work. It's one-on-one bench time from someone whose normal hourly rate is well above what we charge here. The pricing reflects that, and the inclusions reflect that.
- Printed one-page spec sheet (FOC, KE, momentum, dynamic spine, recommended sight tape)
- Laminated field cheat sheet (yardage holds, wind drift, angle correction for your build)
- Full-year Pro Forge subscription ($96 value) — the bench session lives on in software
- Notes on what we saw, what we changed, and what to watch for the next 100 arrows
Services
Full Tune
The 12-step bench tune, broadhead-verified.
$275 / 2 hours
- Pre-flight inspection (cam wear, cable tension, rest contact)
- Cam timing, sync, pre-lean, tiller
- Center shot + nocking point + d-loop indexed
- Paper tune to flat tear
- Bareshaft + broadhead group verification with your actual heads
- Spec sheet + cheat sheet + Pro Forge year
1:1 Coaching
Form, mental game, range diagnostic.
$200 / hour
- Form review (NTS-method or your discipline)
- Range diagnostic — we shoot, read the patterns, adjust
- Mental game work (target panic, big-buck panic, tournament focus)
- Custom drill prescription you keep practicing after
- For hunters, target shooters, JOAD parents
Custom Build
A dozen arrows, matched to your bow.
$475 / dozen
- Shaft + components selected from verified catalog
- Every shaft cut, squared, and weighed on a grain scale
- Components weighed and sorted into matched sets
- Dozen typically grouped within ±1.5 grain of build target weight
- Match Grade builds: tighter spread possible with premium components — ask
- Optional Firenock CTI installation via Firenock PAPS
- Premium component cost included in price
- Forge-spec'd one-page sheet ships in the box
Bow Setup From Scratch
New bow in, hunting-ready bow out.
$850 / half-day
- New bow uncrated, accessories mounted
- Sight + rest + stabilizer + release fit + adjusted
- Custom string + cables from Unbound Archery (waxless Bloodline VEC99 fiber)
- Full 12-step tune to the new strings
- Dozen custom arrows built to match
- Sight tape printed from YOUR chrono numbers
- You leave with a hunting-ready or competition-ready rig
Full Bench Day
Everything. One day. One archer at a time.
$2,500 / 6–8 hours
- Complete bow setup or rebuild
- Custom Unbound Archery string + cables (waxless Bloodline VEC99)
- Full 12-step tune with broadhead verification
- Custom dozen arrows, spine-matched and indexed
- Sight tape printed and verified at distance
- 2-hour coaching + range diagnostic block
- Full-year Pro Forge + printed setup notebook
- Lunch on the bench. We don't rush this.
Bow Setup From Scratch and Full Bench Day include a custom string + cable set from Unbound Archery (Lindsborg, KS) built on Bloodline VEC99 — a waxless Dyneema SK99 + Vectran fiber that holds creep, resists abrasion, and stays stable across temperature swings. We don't tune onto a stock string and call it done. New rig out of the Atelier rolls on the string we'd put on our own bow.
How we build a dozen
Specifics so you know what you're paying for, not just buzzwords.
- Shafts: selected to spine + GPI spec for your bow. Cut to length on a precision saw, ends squared, ID inspected.
- Components weighed individually. Points, inserts, nocks, vanes — each on the grain scale before installation. Brands vary by ±1–2gr per component out of the box. We sort.
- Matched sets. Every arrow uses components from the same matched group so the dozen flies as twelve copies of one arrow, not twelve close cousins.
- Realistic tolerance. Dozen typically lands within ±1.5gr of target weight. With Easton Match Grade shafts, Iron Will inserts, and hand-sorted points we can hit ±1gr. Sub-1gr spreads exist but require hand-trimming or premium spec across every component — ask if that's what you want.
- Each arrow nock-tuned. Stiff side indexed to the same clock position so every arrow leaves the bow the same way.
- Spec sheet ships in the box. Per-arrow weight, average FOC, average KE, build photo. No mystery what you're shooting.
Tools on the bench
Everything that touches your bow is industry-best.
- Archery Tooling Concepts (ATC) press + draw board. Fingertip control, zero limb stress, every degree of cam rotation visible.
- Firenock PAPS (Press Activation Positioning System) for perfect axial alignment on component installation. The difference between .003" runout and .001".
- Last Chance Archery fletching jigs, spine testers, arrow squares. The full bench.
- Calibrated grain scale for every component before it goes on the shaft.
- Chronograph + atmospheric reference for sight tape calibration to YOUR conditions, not the IBO rig.
Brands we build with
Not married to one brand. Married to what shoots best for the archer in front of us. The Atelier is compound-only — we'd rather do compound work at a level we're proud of than spread thin across every discipline.
Shafts: Easton (all current lines including X10, Match Grade, FMJ family, 6.5mm), Black Eagle (Spartan, Carnivore, X-Impact, Renegade, Intrepid), Victory (V-TAC, RIP, VAP, 3DHV, HLR), Gold Tip (Hunter, Pierce, Airstrike, Kinetic, Black Label), K2 Arrow Co (5mm and 6mm Wasatch), Altra (Phantom, Centrum, 6mm), Carbon Express (Maxima Photon SD, RED, D-Stroyer, Nano Pro), Firenock AeroWeave.
Components: Iron Will (Impact Collars + HIT inserts + broadheads), Easton Match Grade, Podium Archer titanium, Firenock CTI + Aero Outsert, full inventory of premium nocks and vanes from Bohning, AAE, Q2i, Gateway.
Strings: Custom-spun from Unbound Archery on Bloodline VEC99 fiber.
Bows: Every compound flagship from Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech, Elite, Prime, PSE, BlackOut, Mission — 2022 through 2026.
FAQ
- What weight tolerance do you actually hit?
- Honest answer: ±1.5gr across the dozen is standard with weighing + sorting. ±1gr is achievable with Match Grade shafts and hand-sorted components. Sub-1gr exists but requires hand-trimming and premium spec all the way through. We won't promise numbers we can't hit — if you need a specific tolerance, tell us and we'll spec the components to get there or be straight that we can't with the budget you have.
- Why are you priced higher than the local pro shop?
- Because you're not paying for shop labor. You're paying for one-on-one bench time, premium components, an ATC press, a verified Forge spec sheet, a year of Pro Forge subscription, and the person who built the math standing across the table from you. Pro-shop tunes are 30 minutes of someone's time. An Atelier session is two-plus hours of focused, one-archer-at-a-time work with the tools and the data to back it up. If you want the cheaper option, it's a fine option. We're the other option.
- Where are you located?
- Chicago. Exact address shared with confirmed bookings (the Atelier shares space with a private range).
- Why custom strings from Unbound?
- Bloodline VEC99 fiber is the most stable bowstring material we've put on a bench. Waxless, low creep, abrasion-resistant, holds peak weight across temperature. Unbound builds them in Lindsborg, Kansas, the same way we build arrows — measured, matched, and zero shortcuts. A new tune on a stock string is a tune on a moving target. A new tune on an Unbound string holds.
- Do you work on recurve or traditional bows?
- No. The Atelier is compound-only. We'd rather be excellent on one discipline than mediocre across three.
- Do I need to be a Forge subscriber to book?
- No. Every Atelier package includes a full year of Pro Forge at no extra charge.
- Can you build for a friend who can't make it in?
- Yes — send their setup info (bow make/model, draw weight + length, intended use, brand preference) and we'll build a dozen arrows to spec. Shipped via FedEx ground.
- Do you take walk-ins?
- No. The Atelier is appointment only. Email sal@sparrowexpeditions.com and we'll find a slot — usually within 7–10 days for Tune or Coaching, 2–4 weeks for Bench Day.
- What if my bow needs serious repair?
- We do tuning and build work. For limb damage or major mechanical repair, we refer to Bergy Bowsmith — the best in the Midwest.