Making Arrows

[Robyn Hode]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this question but does anybody make there own arrows from poplar boards or douglas fir flooring boards?

I am trying to make some for my 50 lb board bow and I am struggling with arrow spine and arrow weight in grains.

If you make your own arrows what arrow tip weight, spine, and arrow weight in grains are you using?
What is the draw weight of your bow?
What would you suggest for me to shoot for?
Is there a standard or rule of thumb people use?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Wolftrail]

I have made a few, I use a jig that I made. Making Douglas fir dowels are tough because you are allways fighting the grain and good luck getting 6 made from a dozen sqaure blanks.  Poplar is a good choice. 11/32 works best for me.  I have not built a spine jig, but I know that I'm very close..!
I''m using 125 grain field tips or target points. Arrow length about 29" my draw is 27 and around 46#
Arrow making is not my strong suit, fletching is my weak point.

[Pat B]

I have arrows that Charlie Jefferson(Stringstretcher) doweled out of poplar boards. They are the best, toughest doweled arrows I have ever use. Doug fir will make good arrows also.
 Generally with self bows 10# under the bows draw weight is a good starting point for wood arrows.

[Sam Harper]

Lots of people do.  I was just reading this thread on the *********** about it:

 http://***********.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?forum=23&threadid=259662&messages=9&CATEGORY=2

If you use Douglas Fir, make sure you find boards that have really tight grain.  I learned that from personal experience.

[Pat B]

If you do make arrows from boards be sure they are well seasoned. I think the poplar boards Charlie used he had cut and milled then stickered them for 2 years before re-sawing and doweling them.
 Charlie used a pencil sharpener type dowel maker then ran the shafts through a compression block.

[Robyn Hode]

Do most people season their boards for arrows? I have just been buying them from the local hardware store. They had some pretty tight grained douglas fir floor boards.

I do not have a dowel maker I cut the boards into 3/8 inch pieces 30 inches long. Then hand plane them semi-round and finish sanding them round by hand.

Does seasoning the wood make the arrows stronger?

[Pat B]

Just like with bow wood, seasoning arrow wood makes the arrows more stable and more likely to stay straight.

[stringstretcher]

Seasoned wood is the only way to go, IMO.  Even if you get kiln dried lumber, it has to season. Let it sit and you will make much much better arrows.  We have some that we made up from what I make that are over two years old now, and they are just as straight as the day we made them.  And we have yet to break a poplar dowel on the grain run out. I have two or three that we made up with over 12 run outs on the dowel just to try.  Trust me, they have missed a lot of targets, and are still straight and shootable.

[Roy from Pa]

I remember some old coot in Virginia that was going to send me some, but they got lost in the mail I guess..  

[Wolftrail]

Here is a sample of the jig I built for making dowels. Its a piece of steel 1/8" thick 1 1/2" wide drill a few holes 3/8" and another at 11/32"  you have to taper the hole to get the square stock started.  I taper both ends and use an electric drill. Cordless does not spin fast enough.

 

[stringstretcher]

No Roy they did not get lost.  They are sitting right here looking at me.  I am just having a hard time finding some spined low enough for you old tired arms to be able to pull a bow back...such a wuss.....lol

[Dan Landis]

I do the same as Wolftrail, except I use the box end of a 3/8" and then a 9mm wrench to run mine through.  I sand them from there to I hit my desired spine.

[Sam Harper]

Originally posted by Pat B:
Just like with bow wood, seasoning arrow wood makes the arrows more stable and more likely to stay straight.

But does it make it harder to straighten them in the first place?

[Wolftrail]

Arrows will change according to climate conditions. Straightening from time to time is required for some. I always start with wood thats at least down to 8% MC.

[Pat B]

Sam, if they do happen to get a crook they usually are not hard to straighten by hand. I've not had that happen with the poplar shafts I got from Charlie.

[stringstretcher]

We have found on the poplar shafts that using heat to straighten, they stay straight. If you use other methods they do not.  When working on mine, I will straighten them and then set them down on a flat surface and let them rest for a day or over night.  When I come back and check them again, if they are as straight as I left them they get sealed right then.  If they are not, re-straighten them and let them sit again and do the same thing...once the shaft stays straight from when you put it down the last time, seal it.  It will stay straight.  Other methods just will not do that.

[George Tsoukalas]

I have used poplar and d fir for hand planing arrows from square stock.  D fir is difficult to plane as the plane digs in frequently.

Regarding a question above...I make barrel chested arrows.
Removing wood from the middle of the shaft affects spine quickly while removing wood from the nock and point ends for several inches allows  me to control weight.

Jawge

[Robyn Hode]

Thank you for all the responses.

I am going to let my douglas fir boards season as suggested they should make some sweet arrows in a couple of years.

I have some poplar boards I am going to cut up and try some of the other arrow making suggestions like the steel jig and the box wrench methods. Currently I have hand planed my arrows like George (I actually got the idea from his web site) but I struggled with getting the arrows tuned.

I am also going to try switching my target points to 125 grains and barrel taper my arrows more.

I am going to give all these great suggestions a try and see if I can get my arrows tuned better.

Thanks again.