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I have a simple fletching jig, I used to use an arizona eazy fletch when I first started. (3 feathers at a time. I also buy the feathers full length and use a chopper to cut my own, some times you can get two cuts from a single feather. especially with 4 inch feathers.
-------------------- "It Shall be Life" (Ten Bears to Josie Wales) ------------------ Michael Most-Adkins Texas Posts: 908 | From: Adkins Texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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also you will need a nock/point taper tool. the pencil sharpen er type works pretty good for the cost. I seal my shafts then stain, and finish or paint the crests the use ferrel tite for putting on the point, (requires heat) and glue the nocks on.
-------------------- "It Shall be Life" (Ten Bears to Josie Wales) ------------------ Michael Most-Adkins Texas Posts: 908 | From: Adkins Texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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I would get a test pack of shafts with quite a few spine ranges included, which I, as well as quite a few other shaft suppliers, can do. I'd probably start with around 65# or 70# in your test pack and go up from there, depending on what bows you're shooting. Douglas Fir would suit your needs very well, as they come in the higher spine ranges whereas cedar and spruce can only be consistently had in spines up to 75# or so. For bare essentials you're going to start with a quality fletching tool, as well as glue, nocks, and points. If you want to do the point and nock tapers yourself, you'll want a good taper tool. If you have a combination belt/disk sander, I highly recommend a Tim's Taper Tool for nocks and points, or making your own. You can hand straighten your arrows, but I recommend either making a hook straightener or buying a Shaft Tamer. With some practice, you'll be able to make very straight shafts with either of these methods combined with hand straightening. If you want to do finishing yourself, either make a dip tube out of PVC or buy one...use a quality finish..I recommend Spar Urethane to start due to its waterproofing qualities. For stains, I like aniline and Rit dyes. From there you can get fancier and get a cresting machine and everything, but I think it's a good idea to start simple and work up from there. Have fun! Craig
Posts: 1267 | From: Hooker, Oklahoma | Registered: Feb 2006
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I've been thinking of this as well and made a list from 3Rivers of things I THINK I need. As above, but what about a Grain scale, Spin/Spine tester? Also will you buy cut feathers or cut/burn your own? I have TJ Conrads book, The Traditional Bowhunters Handbook and he goes through the process quite well, I think. Making some of your own tools is good, but my fixed/one-time costs from 3Rivers is almost $1200.00 (full blown do it all stuff) with another $500.00 for 100 shafts, points,nocks and 300 feathers. Soooo, not cheap, but if I do it for the next 20 years and continue my arrow losing/busting ways, probably an OK deal. Getting good at making your own arrows must be a real gratifying way to go. I'll start smaller than my initial costs and also get a few dozen real nice ones as advertised here, but it seems a natural progression.
-------------------- TOM
WHAT EACH OF US DOES IS OF ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE. Wendell Berry Posts: 1349 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Mar 2010
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You don't have to have the scale unless you want to perfectly match your arrows but that's certainly not a must have. You also don't need a spine tester. You can buy the shafts already spined and matched. A feather burner is expensive also and you can buy precut feathers cheap.
All you truly need is to buy the shafts. You can shop around and get wood shafts from $28 - $32 per dozen.
I recommend you buy feathers by the 100 as they are cheaper but you can buy them by the dozen.
I use a 6 arrow jig but you can buy a one arrow jig...it just takes more time.
You will need stain if you want the arrows a certain color - go to Walmart and get the cheapest stuff they have in the color you want. If you want to cap dip them or make a crest you will incur more costs but you can make a beautifully solid stained arrow without that if you want to reduce initial costs.
Now you will need some glue - I use Duco for woodies. Buy your points and a taper tool. You can get a nice electric one or a manual one - they both work.
Finally, you have to decide on a finish. I have used gasket lacquer in dip tubes for years but lately have been using a wipe-on poly. Either works well - wipe-on poly is a cheaper way to go because you'll have to buy dip tubes otherwise.
For drying just put up a string and hang clothes pins on it. After you stain, hang them from the clothes line to dry.
Really, you can get started with this and go from there. I need to make a how to video on this. It really is simple.
-------------------- Jimmy Blackmon Posts: 372 | From: Tennessee | Registered: Jun 2010
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That's a great idea!!! Everyone(but me) should know how to and should build more arrows than they could ever possibly use!!!!
I hope a few of them just know their are some pitiful excuses of arrowsmiths out here...like me. Please forgive me for even mentioning the word arrowsmith and on in the same page/same computer!!
Good Luck and...Learn well "Grasshopper! ...Old man like Mudd need much arrows someday!"..lol
Your Humble Servant God bless, Mudd
-------------------- Trying to make a difference Psalm 37:4 God's grace and love! Roy L "Mudd" Williams TGMM- Family Of The Bow Archery isn't something I do, it's who I am! Posts: 9832 | From: Mid-Missouri | Registered: Mar 2003
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It is getting expensive! But I like to put money into tools that I will not have to buy twice, and quality shafts.
If you buy a really good fletching jig, you will not get dissatisfied with the one you have and have to buy another later.
I bought a taper tool, and spent way too much time cussing at it because it failed on ash shafting, so I went to a Woodchuck.
A feather burner lets you make any shape fletch you can dream up.
Wal-Mart, Home Depot and the like have all kinds of paints, stains and finishes. Speaking of cheap paints, check out this web page from a fellow TradGanger whose handle here is Grey Taylor. His early posts give a lot of detail on how he makes his beautiful arrows. Do a search on him here, and you will find more. I have really enjoyed his writing.
Here are arrows that have just been marked with spine weight and arrow number, drying in the kitchen. The shafts are stained with aniline dye and Min-Wax stain. I use gold or silver pens from the craft/art store, or Testor's Paint.
For a youngster: (Click on the thumbnail)
Spray paint and Testor's:
I just bought a crester. Let the games begin! Killdeer
-------------------- Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.
~Longfellow
TGMM Family Of The Bow Posts: 15028 | From: Fibber McGee's Closet, VA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Firts off, great hearing about some one stepping up to use arrows with a soul!
I would suggest Surewood Shafts )Doug Fir) or Hildebrande Sitka Spruce as a great shaft material starting point.
I would follow Ranger'a advice except use Minwax Helsman Spar Urethane with a dip tube and gasket. It will dry fairly fast in NM and will make your shafts waterPROOF instead of marginally water resistant. Use Duco for fletching.
I would get a JoJan 6, a great investment and fast. You can get by with a "pencil sharpener-style" taper tool, I did for decades BUT I recently got a Groundhog taper tool and should have years ago.
Posts: 2319 | From: Moose Pass, Alaska | Registered: Mar 2003
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I too would like to make(stain,fletch)my own wooden arrows.I've done aluminum many times but never wood.I have a Bear recurve that is 50# and I shoot full length arrows.My question is would it be better to get 11/32 or 23/64 shafting?
Posts: 6 | From: Alabama | Registered: May 2010
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Yep, making wood arrows really isn't all that cheap. I figure by the time I purchase some quality shafts, field points, knocks, and lacquer, I've got about $54 per dozen. And this doesn't include all the tools needed.
The upside is that I shoot a lot and if you compare it to the cost for firearm ammo, and the hours of enjoyment I get out of a dozen shafts, I guess it's pretty cheap entertainment.
-------------------- John Sweka - Howard, PA Posts: 2075 | From: Howard Pennsylvania | Registered: Aug 2009
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I use Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane, brush 3 coats with a foam brush, lightly sand after 2nd coat, they come out really nice and no messing with dipping and waste. 100% waterproof also.
-------------------- "Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do." Posts: 403 | From: Henderson,Tx / Escondido,Ca | Registered: Oct 2006
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